SHEEP  HUSBANDRY. 


-A.    "W  O  K,  El 

t 


PREPARED   FOR 


THE  FARMERS  OF 


BY 

J.  B.  KILLEBREW,  A.  M.,  Ph.  D., 

Commissioner  of  Agriculture,  Statistics  and  Mines  for  the  State  of  Tennessee. 


NASHVILLE,  TENN.: 

TAVEL,  EASTMAN  &  HOWELL. 

1880. 


r  '  3  \. 


Main  Life, 
Agric.Dep<;. 


To  His  EXCELLENCY,  Gov.  A.  S.  MARKS: 

The  numerous  enquiries  which  I  have  received,  asking 
for  information  pertaining  to  the  capabilities  of  the  State 
for  sheep  husbandry,  have  induced  me  to  prepare  the 
following  pages.  I  am  indebted  to  my  former  clerk, 
Major  H.  N.  Caldwell,  for  much  valuable  aid  in  the 
preparation  of  the  volume;  also  to  Dr.  W.  M.  Clark 
and  to  B.  M.  Hord,  both  of  whom  have  contributed 
largely  to  the  work.  All  the  Vest  American  authors, 
Hays,  Stewart  and  Randall,  as  well  as  the  best  European 
writers  on  this  subject,  have  been  freely  consulted,  but 
the  most  useful  part  of  the  work  has  been  derived  from 
the  observation,  experience,  and  practice  of  our  own 
flock- masters,  who  have  no  superiors  in  this  or  any 
other  country.  Their  intelligent  management  has  been 
recognized  and  approved  in  the  best  sheep  growing  dis- 
tricts of  Europe,  and  their  experience  furnishes  a  mine 
of  valuable  information,  which  cannot  be  disregarded 
with  impunity  by  those  entering  the  business  in  our 
State.  Trusting  that  the  work  may  aid  in  the  further- 
ing of  an  industry  which  is  both  a  pleasure  and  a 
necessity  to  civilized  man,  I  have  the  honor  to  be, 

Very  truly, 

J.  B.  KILLEBREW. 

February  20,  1880. 


298154 


HUSBANDRY. 


CHAPTER  I. 

HISTORY   AND   GENERAL   VIEW  OF   THE   SUBJECT. 

The  question  as  to  the  capability  of  Tennessee  as  a  sheep 
growing  section  has  long  been  settled,  and,  therefore,  it  is 
unnecessary  to  bring  forward  any  arguments  on  the  subject. 
Not  only  is  this  State  well  calculated  to  make  sheep  hus- 
bandry profitable,  but  it  has  claims  in  an  especial  degree 
that  are  not  possessed  by  any  other  States  of  our  Union. 
This  industry  has  of  late  years  received  an  impetus  not 
hitherto  known,  from  the  introduction  of  a  system  of  rail- 
roads all  over  the  United  States.  Before  their  general  con- 
struction lambs  could  be  bought  at  any  time  for  one  dollar 
apiece,  in  fact,  the  farmer  considered  himself  amply  re- 
remunerated  if  he  secured  that  price.  Now,  the  great 
markets  of  New  York,  Boston,  Philadelphia,  and,  in  fact, 
all  the  northern  and  eastern  cities,  from  Louisville  and 
Cincinnati  to  St.  Paul  and  Portland,  in  Maine,  draw  their 
early  lambs  from  the  more  genial  climes  of  the  South,  and 
so  great  is  the  competition  that  the  farmer  who  has  large 
fat  lambs  to  sell  in  May  or  the  first  of  June  can  get  from 
three  to  four  dollars  apiece.  Nor  does  the  market  cease 
with  the  early  ones,  but  extends  through  the  entire  summer 
for  all  grades  of  lambs,  and  later  for  fat  ewes  and  wethers. 


This  stimulus  has  acted  so  strongly  upon  sheep  raising  that 
no  farmer  should,  or  does,  think  his  farm  stocked  without 
a  flock  of  sheep  ranging  from  a  score  or  two  to  several 
thousand,  according  to  the  capacity  of  the  farm  or  range. 
And  not  only  has  it  shown  itself  in  the  increased  numbers 
raised,  but  it  has  acted  in  a  wonderful  manner  in  improving 
the  stock  or  character  of  the  sheep. 

But  few  animals  can  show  a  greater  diversity  of  character 
than  sheep.  This  difference  is  shown  in  color,  size,  shape, 
length  and  texture  of  wool,  etc,  nor  does  any  animal  what- 
ever occupy  a  larger  territory,  living  everywhere  that  man 
does  on  the  habitable  globe.  They  are  found  on  the  bleak 
mountain  sides  of  Greenland,  and  on  the  broad  deserts  of 
Africa.  Nor  does  this  great  diversity  cease  in  these  par- 
ticulars, for  no  domestic  or  wild  animal  is  capable  of  exist- 
ing on  more  different  sorts  of  food.  Weeds,  grasses,  shrubs, 
roots,  cereals,  leaves,  barks,  and  even,  in  times  of  scarcity, 
fish  and  meats,  all  furnish  a  subsistence  to  this  wonderful 
animal.  They  will,  in  the  great  pine  forests  of  Norway 
and  Sweden,  subsist  upon  the  pungent  resinous  evergreens 
through  a  hard  winter,  such  as  are  unknown  to  this  latitude. 
The  cultivated  grasses  of  the  temperate  zones,  clover,  and 
the  ceerals  are,  as  a  matter  of  course,  the  best  food  for  them, 
but  in  the  absence  of  these  they  will  gnaw  the  barks  and 
crop  the  leaves  of  the  forests.  Among  the  Laplanders, 
when  all  other  kinds  of  food  fail,  they  will  eat  the  dried 
fish  of  those  people,  or  the  half  rotten  flesh  of  the  walrus ; 
or,  in  cases  of  extreme  destitution,  they  will  eat  the  very 
wool  off  each  other's  backs. 

The  sizes  of  sheep  are  as  various  as  the  kinds  of  food 
they  live  upon.  In  the  Orkney  Islands  they  are  so  small 
as  to  appear  like  toys.  Like  the  diminutive  ponies  of  the 
Shetlands,  neighbors  of  the  Orkneys,  they  are  brought-  to 
the  warmer  climates  as  a  curiosity.  By  the  side  of  the 
massive  Cotswold  or  Southdown  they  appear  very  little  like 
the  same  species.  Some  have  long,  tapering,  straight  horns, 


[7] 

like  the  gazelle,  while  others  have  the  huge  spiral  horns  of 
the  mountain,  or  big  horns  of  the  Osage  Mountains. 
Others,  again,  are  without  horns  altogether,  as  are  most  of 
mutton  sheep. 

The  same  difference  exists  in  regard  to  the  tails.  They 
have  long,  slender,  vibrating  tails,  a  broad,  flat  tail  like 
those  of  Asia,  or  no  tail  at  all,  only  a  rudiment  of  one  being 
discernable.  In  some  countries  the  tail  attains  a  weight  of 
from  seven  to  twelve  pounds,  and  is  considered  a  great 
delicacy. 

And  thus  with  the  covering.  It  hardly  seems  possible 
to  connect  the  straight,  hairy  fleece  of  the  Rocky  Mountain 
sheep  and  the  long,  combing  wool  of  the  Leicester  or  Cots- 
wold,  in  the  same  animal.  In  Madagascar  the  sheep  have 
short,  hairy  wool,  hardly  to  be  considered  wool  at  all.  In 
Lincolnshire  it  is  long  and  coarse.  In  Saxony  it  is  almost 
like  silk,  fine,  curly,  and  lustrous.  In  Angola  it  is  furry 
and  soft  as  a  rabbit's  fur.  Nor  does  the  diversity  stop  here. 
In  our  own  country  we  meet  with  the  white  and  black 
sheep.  About  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  they  are  gray,  dun, 
brown,  buff,  blue,  and  all  intermediate  shades  of  color. 
This  great  difference  of  color  results  from  long  breeding 
under  many  different  climates  and  modes  of  feeding. 

The  uses  to  which  these  animals  are  applied  seem  to  par- 
take of  the  great  diversity  of  their  characteristics.  The  meat 
forms  one  of  the  standard  dishes  of  the  world.  For 
luscious  juiciness,  ease  of  digestion,  and  delicacy  of  flavor 
it  has  no  equal.  Agreeable  alike  to  the  invalid  and  to  the 
laborer,  it  is  eagerly  sought  by  all  classes.  Nor  is  its  flesh 
the  only  thing  about  it  that  forms  a  diet  of  man.  Some 
nations  use,  to  a  large  extent,  the  milk  of  sheep  as  well  as  of 
cows  and  goats.  Excellent  cheese  is  manufactured  from  it, 
and  its  use  is  thought  by  some  physicians  to  be  a  specific 
diet  in  obstinate  cases  of  dyspepsia.  Even  the  wool  is  con- 
sidered a  choice  dish  by  some  of  the  Highland  clans  of 
Scotland.  They  scorch  it  to  a  crisp  brownness,  and  eat  it 


with  great  relish.  The  use  of  ewe's  milk  in  preparing 
cheese,  butter,  and  curd  is  alluded  to  in  the  Book  of  Job. 
The  writers  of  profane  history  often  speak  of  ewe's  milk. 
'  The  ewe's  milk  cheese  has  a  sharp,  strong  taste,  that,  like 
Limberg  cheese,  commends  itself  to  the  taste  of  many 
people.  It  is  often  mixed  with  cow's  milk  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  some  brands  of  cheese,  to  give  it  a  tartness  not 
given  by  cow's  milk  alone.  The  butter  is  a  pale  yellow, 
less  firm  than  cow's  butter,  and  becomes  rancid  much 
quicker.  The  milk  is  thicker  than  cow's  milk,  but  in  other 
respects  resembles  it  very  much,  both  in  taste  and  appear- 
ance. 

The  nomadic  tribes  of  Asia  live  almost  exclusively  on  the 
flesh  of  sheep,  and  when  a  patriarch  assembles  his  family  to 
the  one  meal  of  the  day,  it  is  generally  around  a  large  tray 
containing  a  single  sheep,  which  serves  them  for  meat  and 
bread.  That  country  is  the  birthplace  of  the  sheep,  as*  it 
was  for  man,  and  nearly  all  domestic  animals.  It  is  the 
first  animal  that  is  spoken  of  in  sacred  writ  as  being  kept 
by  man,  and  Abel,  the  twin  brother  of  Cain,  found  favor  in 
the  sight  of  God  by  offering  up  the  firstlings  of  his  flock, 
far  above  the  fruits  of  the  earth  that  were  brought  by  his 
brother.  It  is  often  spoken  of  throughout  the  Scriptures, 
and  was  the  favorite  sacrifice  to  Deity,  and  has  in  all  ages 
been  esteemed  the  emblem  of  purity  and  innocence.  Our 
Saviour  is  called  the  "  Lamb  of  God,"  and  the  "  Good 
Shepherd,"  giving  a  dignity  to  the  position  not  vouchsafed 
to  any  other  vocation. 

Abraham,  the  father  of  the  Jewish  race,  was  a  notable 
shepherd,  as  were  all  the  patriarchs  of  those  days,  and 
Rachel,  the  beautiful  daughter  of  Laban,  and  the  mother  of 
Joseph,  thought  it  no  degradation  to  attend  to  her  father's 
flocks.  Jacob,  through  a  knowledge  of  physiology  above 
his  contemporaries,  was  able  to  carry  off  a  large  portion  of 
the  flocks  of  his  father-in-law,  and  became  a  very  wealthy 
shepherd.  It  was  while  tending  the  flocks  of  Jacob  that 


[9] 

Joseph  was  stolen  and  sold  to  the  Egyptians  by  his  brethren. 
Job  was  also  a  great  and  rich  man  of  those  early  times, 
being  the  owner  of  14,000  sheep,  besides  other  animals. 
This  was,  too,  only  about  eight  hundred  years  after  the 
deluge,  so  that  it  is  known  that  sheep  were  then,  as  now, 
very  prolific,  unless  he  owned  all  the  sheep  of  the  age. 
Moses,  the  great  lawgiver,  soldier,  and  prophet,  did  not  dis- 
claim to  tend  the  flocks  of  Jethro  in  the  desert  of  Midian, 
and  still  later  the  sweet  singer  of  Israel,  David,  the  greatest 
King  of  the  Jews,  kept  his  father's  sheep. 

It  was  to  shepherds  that  the  glad  tidings  of  our  Saviour's 
birth  were  first  made  known.  While  in  the  fields  or  range, 
at  night,  watching  the  sheep,  the  glorious  company  of 
angels  appeared  to  them,  striking  their  harps,  and  announc- 
ing to  them  the  long  looked  for  message  of  "  Glad  tidings 
of  great  joy,"  the  Saviour  is  born  unto  the  world.  So 
profound  was  the  joy,  they  left  their  flocks,  and  led  by  a 
star  sent  to  them,  were  guided  to  the  holy  spot.  Kings  and 
princes  prided  themselves  in  the  numbers  and  vastness  of 
their  flocks,  and  the  shepherd  kings  of  a  later  date  attained 
great  power.  Among  them  Genghis  Khan,  Tamerlane, 
Kubler  Khan,  and  others  have  attained  an  everlasting  fame 
as  great  conquerors  of  the  world. 

We  do  not  have  to  confine  ourselves  to  the  records  of 
holy  writ  for  examples  of  sheep  husbandry.  The  profane 
authors,  Homer,  Horace,  Virgil,  Herodotus,  Plato,  and,  in 
fact,  all  of  the  great  writers  of  antiquity,  speak  in  endearing 
terms  of  sheep.  Some  of  the  most  delightful  pastoral 
poems  of  Virgil  picture  the  shepherd  watching  the  sheep 
and  delighting  his  love  with  the  music  of  the  reeds.  The 
artists,  too,  have  vied  with  one  another  in  depicting  upon 
the  canvass  agricultural  scenes  in  which  the  never  failing 
man  sits  with  crook  in  hand  and  sheep  around. 

In  the  Middle  Ages  the  improvement  of  sheep  seems 
first  to  have  been  thought  possible.  The  Asiatics  raised 
them  solely  or  nearly  so  for  food,  the  warmth  of  the  climate 


[10] 

making  their  wool  a  secondary  consideration.  When  used 
by  the  ancients  it  was  as  often  worn  on  the  skin  as  other- 
wise, though  there  were  exceptions  to  the  rule.  We  all 
have  read  of  the  Syrian  soldiers  with  their  sheepskin  coats, 
and  the  shoes  of  the  more  northern  tribes  were  made  of  the 
skin  with  the  wool  turned  in.  Penelope  kept  her  lovers  at 
bay  during  the  prolonged  absence  of  her  husband  Ulysses 
by  unraveling  at  night  the  woolen  embroidery  she  had 
completed  in  the  day,  having  promised  her  hand  to  one 
when  she  should  finish  it,  and  the  language  could  not  ex- 
press the  admiration  of  the  poet  at  the  many  beautiful 
colors  of  her  yarns.  The  reader  is  familiar  with  the  loveli- 
ness and  grandeur  of  the  royal  Tyrian  purple  that  was  im- 
parted to  the  tunics  which  could  only  be  transferred  to 
woolen  fabrics. 

Spain  and  Portugal,  however,  are  entitled  to  the  credit  of 
having  made  the  first  successful  effort  to  improve  the  breeds 
of  sheep  with  reference  to  the  wool.  Those  countries  are 
well  and  peculiarly  adapted  to  the  culture  and  raising  of 
sheep.  For  the  most  part  they  are  broken  and  mountainous, 
and  abound  with  rich  pasturage.  The  wealthy  nobles  of 
those  feudal  countries,  too,  derived  a  large  portion  of  their 
income  from  the  sales  of  sheep  and  wools.  They  did  not 
condescend,  however,  to  manufacture  the  wool  into  goods, 
but  delegated  that  branch  to  Flanders,  which  was  for  many 
centuries  connected,  by  royal  marriages,  to  the  same  govern- 
ment. The  merchants  of  the  latter  country  were  an  indus- 
trious and  enterprising  people,  and  the  lands  not  being  suffi- 
cient to  support  its  teeming  population,  they  built  many 
woolen  mills,  as  well  as  other  manufactories,  and  absorbed 
the  wools  of  not  only  Spain,  Portugal,  and  France,  but  ab- 
solutely bought  up  all  the  wool  of  England,  made  it  into 
cloth,  and  then,  returning  it  to  where  it  was  grown,  sold  it 
to  the  owners  of  the  flocks  at  an  enormous  profit.  These 
merchants  made  so  much  discrimination  in  the  varieties  of 
wool,  the  farmers  began  to  try  to  improve  the  character  of 


[11] 

the  sheep.     The  celebrated  Merino  existed  at  that  time  in 
Spain,  though  the  breed  has  been  greatly  improved  since. 

The  portion  of  Spain  resting  on  the  Mediterranean  Sea 
was  inhabited  by  colonists,  or  rather  the  descendants  of 
colonists  from  Greece.  It  is  supposed  that  the  expedition 
of  the  Argonauts,  who  were  Greeks,  to  Colchis,  in  search  of 
the  Golden  Fleece,  was  really  an  expedition  in  search  of  a 
breed  of  sheep  whose  wool  was  so  excellent,  and  so  highly 
prized,  that  it  was  termed  the  Golden  Fleece.  They  re- 
turned with  it,  as  is  told  by  the  poet,  and  thus  Greece  be- 
came the  owner  of  the  best  sheep  then  known.  When 
Spain  was  settled,  it  is  natural  to  suppose  they  brought  their 
flocks  with  them.  At  all  events,  it  is  certain  that  the  breeds 
of  sheep  running  on  the  slopes  of  the  Pyrennees  are  iden- 
tical with  those  of  the  Poloponessus.  On  the  southern 
coast  of  Italy  some  of  these  sheep  had  in  all  probability 
been  dropped  by  the  Greek  emigrants,  and  they  had  attained 
a  great  reputation  in  the  times  of  Augustus.  They  were 
called  Tarentine  sheep,  from  Tarentum,  the  capital  of 
Apulia,  the  province  of  Italy,  where  they  were  raised. 
Columella,  a  very  rich  Roman,  emigrated  to  Spain  in  the 
year  30  A.  D.,  and  carried  some  of  the  Tarentine  sheep  with 
him,  thus  giving  a  cross  to  those  already  there.  Some  of 
the  same  breed  were  carried  to  Saxony,  and  by  constant 
inbreeding  they  procured  a  wool  of  exceeding  fine  texture, 
but  in  other  respects  preserved  the  same  distinguishing 
characteristics  of  the  Merino.  This  breed  differ  in  many 
respects  from  the  common  sheep.  The  wool  is  not  long, 
but  is  closely  curled,  and  matted  with  an  exudation  from 
the  skin  of  the  sheep  called  yolk,  that  closes  it  on  the  ex- 
ternal surface,  preserving  it  from  trash  and  dirt.  They  will 
also  retain  the  fleece  for  four  or  five  years  unshorn,  while 
the  common  sheep  will,  if  not  sheared,  shed  the  wool  an- 
nually. The  common  sheep  have  little  or  no  wool  on  the 
legs,  belly,  or  head,  but  the  Merino  will  carry  a  full  fleece 
all  over  its  surface.  Let  the  Merino  be  carried  to  whatever 


[12] 

country  it  preserves  all  its  distinguishing  marks,  provided 
it  receives  a  sufficient  amount  of  provision  and  attention. 
It  also  has  a  tenderness  and  juiciness  far  in  advance  of 
many  others. 

When  the  southern  parts  of  Spain  fell  into  the  hands  of  the 
Moors,  the  change  of  masters  was  rather  beneficial  than 
otherwise  to  the  immense  flocks  of  sheep  in  that  rich 
country,  for  the  Moors  were  enterprising,  and  established 
many  factories  for  the  production  of  fine  woolen  fabrics, 
which  they  sold  to  surrounding  nations.  After  their  expul- 
sion by  Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  the  Spanish  grandees 
sedulously  preserved  and  zealously  fostered  the  herds  and 
factories,  knowing  the  riches  that  followed  the  industry. 
So  greatly  were  they  appreciated  that  no  sheep  were  allowed 
to  be  exported  except  by  royal  consent. 

Henry  VIII.,  however,  obtained  permission  from  Charles 
V.  to  carry  some  into  England,  and  he  succeeded  in  getting 
about  three  thousand  into  England,  which,  mixed  with  the 
common  breeds  already  there  in  scant  numbers,  gave  rise  to 
the  many  excellent  crosses  now  known  as  Leicester,  Cots- 
wold,  Southdown,  Rye-land,  and  some  others.  This  sover- 
eign gave  great  encouragement  to  sheep  growing,  throwing 
around  it  all  the  protection  he  could  by  law,  preventing  the 
exportation  of  wool,  which  had  hitherto  all  found  its  way 
into  Flanders  for  its  manufactories.  He  so  fostered  it  that 
by  him  and  succeeding  kings  the  sheep  interest  has  increased 
from  a  few  thousand  long  legged,  ragged,  coarse- wool  sheep 
to  over  60,000,000  at  the  present  time. 

As  an  evidence  of  the  profitable  character  of  sheep  hus- 
bandry, it  has  been  remarked  that  wherever  a  shepherd 
takes  possession  of  a  country  with  his  flocks  there  they  re- 
main. When  the  Romans,  under  Coriolanus,  and  other 
leaders,  conquered  Spain,  these  fine  breeds  of  sheep  were 
all  over  the  country,  and  Spain  has  ever  since,  until  within 
a  few  years,  maintained  its  pre-eminence  as  a  sheep  growing 
country,  though,  from  political  disturbances,  and  other  ad- 


[13] 

ventitious  circumstances,  it  has  lost  its  position  :  but  it  yet 
retains  much  of  its  ancient  fame  as  a  sheep  growing  country. 
This  fact  should  be  borne  in  mind  by  the  people  of  Tennes- 
see in  engaging  in  this  important  branch  of  husbandry. 

While  the  mania  for  sheep  growing  and  improvement  of 
wool  was  at  its  height,  more  care  was  bestowed  upon  the 
animals  than  we  can  conceive  possible  in  this  age.  The 
sheep  were  closely  watched,  and  the  choicest  specimens  were 
selected  and  housed.  Sacks  were  sewn  on  their  bodies. 
Besides,  the  fleeces  were  washed  in  wine,  and  frequently 
combed  so  as  to  secure  the  finest  specimens  of  wool.  This 
course,  persevered  in  for  several  generations,  produced  its 
inevitable  result.  The  fleece  was  greatly  improved  in  tex- 
ture, fineness,  and  softness,  but  it  was  done  at  the  expense 
of  the  constitution  of  the  sheep,  which  was  greatly  impaired 
thereby.  They  became  less  robust,  smaller  in  size;  but 
they  little  recked  upon  the  carcass,  which  they  only  con- 
sidered as  a  vehicle  to  carry  the  fleece.  It  is  only  in  recent 
times  that  attention  has  been  directed  to  an  improvement  of 
the  body  as  well  as  the  fleece,  its  popularity  as  an  article  of 
food  having  grown  at  a  great  rate  for  the  last  few  centuries. 
It  is  only  in  thinly  settled  countries  now  that  sheep  are 
grown  for  the  wool  alone,  its  mutton  being  of  as  much  or 
more  consideration  than  wool  in  the  thickly  settled  portions 
of  the  world.  The  choice  of  breeds  becomes  of  more  or 
less  consequence  according  to  the  proximity  or  distance  from 
the  point  of  consumption,  and,  in  fact,  this  has  given  rise  to 
the  creation  of  new  varieties  to  suit  the  demand.  So  the 
necessities  of  sheep  breeders  have  modified  to  a  great  extent 
the  system  of  agriculture,  so  that,  while  the  improvement 
in  the  character  of  the  sheep  has  become  well  marked,  the 
method  of  agriculture  has  kept  pace,  showing  itself  in  the 
increased  richness  of  the  soil,  and  an  increase  of  its  produc- 
tiveness. In  this  way  profitable  sheep  husbandry  is  synony- 
mous with  profitable  farming.  But  this  improvement  of  the 
soil  relates  only  to  the  mutton  raisers.  If  the  sheep  are 


[14] 

reared  only  for  wool,  they  have  a  wide  range,  scattering 
their  odure  over  the  hills,  where  it  remains  on  the  surface 
until  washed  off  by  rains. 

The  big,  heavy  mutton  sheep,  however,  are  fed  in  enclo- 
sures for  the  purpose  of  fattening,  with  rich  food  of  grain? 
oil-cake,  meats,  roots,  and  luxurious  pastures,  and  to  pro- 
cure these  kinds  of  food  the  farmer  is  compelled  to  resort 
to  the  most  approved  system  of  tillage,  using  manures  with 
a  free  hand,  and  this  plan  naturally  gives  life  to  the  soil. 
Besides,  the  droppings  of  the  sheep  fed  so  freely  are  rich 
in  nitrogenous  substances,  and  being  plowed  under  the  soil, 
soon  acquire  a  surprising  degree  of  fertility.  Thus,  we  say, 
good  sheep  raising  makes  good  farms,  and  the  husbandman 
makes  his  farm  and  himself  rich. 

The  demand  for  mutton  has  already  been  noticed.  It  is 
steadily  on  the  increase.  Twenty  per  cent,  more  mutton  has 
been  consumed  as  an  article  of  food  in  the  United  States 
since  1876,  up  to  September,  1879,  than  for  any  years  pre- 
ceding. One  city  alone,  New  York,  uses  nearly  a  million 
and  a  half  of  sheep  annually.  Add  this  consumption  to 
that  of  all  the  other  populous  cities  of  the  United  States, 
and  we  can  form  some  idea  of  the  >  vast  number  of  sheep 
«aten  as  food  every  year.  And  now  that  the  carriage  of 
live  animals  to  Europe  has  become  a  success,  we  may  expect 
to  see  almost  every  steamship  that  goes  over  carry  a  large 
oargo  of  early  lambs.  Within  the  past  three  decades  pork 
was  the  universal  food  of  the  country,  larnb  and  beef 
coming  in  at  rare  intervals  as  a  luxury.  Now  it  is  almost 
reversed,  and  the  ordinary  diet  of  the  community,  especially 
of  all  towns  and  cities,  consists  of  beef  and  mutton.  Owing 
to  this  cause  the  rearing  of  sheep  for  mutton  alone  is  be- 
coming more  and  more  a  prominent  feature  in  agriculture. 

We  have  no  native  mutton  sheep  in  this  country ;  in  fact, 
the  attention  of  the  farming  community  has  been  directed 
to  it  for  so  short  a  time,  new  varieties  have  not  yet  been 
originated.  The  native  sheep  of  the  United  States  consist 


L15] 

of  a  mixture  of  all  sorts  and  kinds,  and  they  are  constantly, 
for  want  of  cultivated  attention,  deteriorating,  being  long 
legged,  thin  in  the  flank,  suited  rather  to  the  fleetness 
necessary  for  protection  than  to  the  fatness  suited  for  the 
table. 

It  is  true,  we  have  a  considerable  emulation  among 
farmers  of  late  years  in  the  improvement  of  sheep,  and  the 
small  farms  throughout  the  State  have  one  or  more  of  fine 
sheep,  such  as  the  Cotswold,  Merino,  Southdown,  or 
Leicester,  but  these  are  kept  for  breeding  purposes  alone, 
and  rarely  ever  go  to  the  table.  For  this  reason  we  in  Ten- 
nessee cannot  expect  to  realize  the  highest  prices,  such  as 
are  paid  to  the  breeders  of  Canada,  where  attention  to  the 
improvement  of  sheep  began  at  an  earlier  period.  Still, 
the  Canada  farmers  cannot  supply  the  great  demand,  and 
ours,  though  inferior,  are  taken  perforce.  If  our  farmers 
could  once  realize  the  high  prices,  from  seven  to  ten  dollars, 
paid  for  the  full  blooded  mutton  sheep,  then  certainly  there 
would  be  given  a  very  salutary  influence  to  the  business. 

The  demand  does  not  extend  alone  to  very  heavy  fat 
sheep.  There  are  varieties  of  tastes,  and  to  satisfy  these 
different  sheep  are  required.  Some  want  the  heavy  leg,  or 
shoulders,  of  the  Cotswold,  weighing  from  eighteen  to 
twenty  pounds,  while  others  prefer  the  more  delicate  breeds, 
that  do  not  grow  half  the  size  of  the  former.  This  fact  is 
not  generally  known  to  farmers,  consequently  they  cannot 
avail  themselves  of  the  advantages  offered.  In  order  to 
make  it  more  profitable,  farmers  must  study  and  understand 
the  character  of  sheep  needed,  and  the  best  methods  of  pre- 
paring them  for  the  market,  and  then  they  may  expect  to 
derive  full  remuneration. 

In  order  to  do  this  the  farmer  must  acquire  a  knowledge 
of  the  best  breeds,  the  soil  best  adapted  for  their  growth, 
the  nature  of  the  food  best  calculated  to  promote  a  quick 
growth,  and  the  cheapest  manner  of  producing  that  food. 
It  is  far  better  to  thoroughly  understand  these  matters  than 


[161 

to  know  the  early  history  and  origin  of  sheep.  Sheep 
raising  for  mutton  possesses  one  important  advantage  not 
pertaining  to  the  grower  of  other  kinds  of  meat.  Besides 
affording  the  most  healthful  and  delicious  food,  the  cover- 
ing of  the  sheep  enters  largely  into  the  necessities  of  the 
world.  When  the  citizens  of  the  world  clad  themselves  in 
the  skins  of  animals,  wool  did  not  possess  the  value  now 
attached  to  it.  There  are  now  about  30,000,000  of  sheep 
in  the  United  States,  or,  at  least,  there  were  at  the  last 
census.  These  produced  about  100,000,000  pounds  of  wool; 
but  so  great  is  the  demand  for  clothing  that  it  required  fully 
$40,000,000  worth  of  wool  more  than  the  home  production, 
which  had  to  be  imported  from  other  countries.  Nor  is  this 
all.  There  are  annually  brought  from  Europe  §20,000,000 
worth  of  woolen  goods,  which  represents  that  amount  of 
labor  that  could  be  done  here  as  well  as  abroad.  So  the 
necessity  of  increasing  our  wool  growth  is  apparent  to  e^ery 
one.  If  the  growth  of  sheep  was  equal  to  our  home  con- 
sumption, we  would  reserve  the  large  amount  of  $60,000,000 
to  be  distributed  among  our  own  workmen.  The  increased 
number  of  sheep  would  consume  a  large  surplus  of  our 
crops  that  now  waste  for  want  of  a  market,  thus  increasing 
the  value  of  the  crops  that  remain  unconsumed.  Still 
further.  We  have  too  many  men  engaged  in  agriculture. 
They  are  in  too  much  competition  with  each  other  to  make 
their  work  profitable.  To  make  up  this  large  amount  of 
woolen  goods  would  draw  a  great  many  persons  from  the 
farms  to  the  factories,  and  thus  the  agricultural  products 
would  be  increased  in  value,  for  the  workmen  would  have 
to  be  fed  as  well  as  the  sheep.  Thus  it  is  seen  that  all  the 
laws  of  political  economy  demand  an  increase  in  the  flocks 
of  the  country. 

The  next  question  that  arises,  is,  can  we  profitably  increase 
this  business  in  Tennessee?  This  question  is  answered  in 
the  most  eloquent  manner  by  the  vast  pastures  that  annually 
throw  up  their  rich  carpet  of  herbage,  and  not  being  appro- 


[17] 

priated,  it  falls  down  and  is  lost  to  the  world.  Look  at  the 
fertile  valleys  of  East  Tennessee,  where  rich  crops  could  be 
produced  to  feed  enormous  flocks  that  are  or  can  be  sum- 
mered on  the  slopes  of  the  surrounding  mountains!  See 
the  vast  plateau  that  spreads  over  the  top  of  the  Cumber- 
land mountains,  rich  in  all  the  native  grasses,  extending 
from  Kentucky  diagonally  to  Georgia  and  Alabama,  fully 
fifty  miles  wide;  then,  on  the  foothills,  and  on  the  great 
rim  of  Middle  Tennessee,  that  embraces  nearly  ten  thousand 
square  miles  of  Middle  Tennessee.  Go  still  further  west, 
and  large  quantities  of  the  West  Tennessee  plateau  is  in  its 
primeval  condition.  The  sound  of  the  ax  or  the  greeting  of 
the  house  dog  is  almost  unheard  on  the  Cumberland  plateau. 
But  herbage,  rich  and  succulent,  is  there,  springing  up  but 
to  wither  away.  All  this  and  more.  Not  a  single  farm  in 
the  whole  State,  perhaps,  is  stocked  with  sheep  to  its  full 
capacity.  There  are  vast  areas  of  rich  pastures,  and  many 
tons  of  grain  are  produced  and  sold  with  great  labor  to  the 
consumer,  while  it  could  find  in  the  presence  of  flocks  of 
sheep  consumers  that  would  pay  far  more  for  it  than  could 
be  obtained  at  the  "  store."  Here,  upon  these  rich  farms, 
the  heavy  mutton  sheep,  carrying  its  great  hump  of  comb- 
ing wool,  could  be  most  profitably  raised.  But  it  demands 
the  most  careful  attention,  and  cannot  be  left  to  chance. 
It  is  far  more  profitable  than  cotton  culture,  and  in- 
volves much  less  actual  labor,  though  unremitting  attention. 
What  a  vast  field  opens  to  the  view  in  this  State  alone. 
How  much  actual  wealth  could  be  added  to  the  common- 
wealth of  Tennessee  if  every  farmer  would  raise  sheep  no 
one  can  comprehend. 

Still,  as  great  as  the  breadth  is,  it  must  not  be  thought 
that  all  land  is  suited  for  sheep.  Quite  the  reverse  is  true. 
Fortunately,  the  larger  portion  of  our  State  will  admit  of 
sheep  raising  in  the  greatest  perfection.  Sheep  naturally 
belong  to  mountains,  and  a  broken  surface  seems  to  agree 
with  them  better  than  a  level  one.  One  thing  they  cannot 
2 


[181 

stand,  and  that  is  wet  feet.  They  require  a  dry  soil,  and  if 
it  is  not  by  nature  sufficiently  rolling  to  pass  off  the  surplus 
water  of  the  rainfalls,  it  must,  to  agree  with  them,  be  made 
so  artificially.  It  would  not  pay  to  drain  any  large  body 
of  land  for  the  sole  purpose  of  raising  sheep,  and  yet  it  will 
not  pay  to  keep  sheep  on  swampy  lands.  Hence  the  neces- 
sity of  avoiding  such.  There  is  plenty  of  land  naturally 
suited,  having  all  the  requirements  necessary,  and  it  is  better 
to  confine  the  business  to  such  places. 

Another  thing.  Do  not  expect  to  raise  large  sheep,  or 
large  fleeces,  on  poor  pasturage,  unless  it  is  assisted  by 
liberal  feeding.  The  fleece  on  poor  pastures  will  be  coarse, 
scanty,  and  be  disposed  to  shed.  Another  thing.  Ewes 
will  not  bear  twins  on  scant  feed.  If  a  flock  is  on  a  rich 
pasture  the  ewes  will  in  a  short  time  begin  to  double,  and 
they  will  continue  to  do  so  as  long  as  the  food  is  generous. 
But  change  them  to  a  poor  scant  pasturage  and  they  will  at 
once  drop  back  to  single  lambs.  Let  it  be  understood,  how- 
ever, when  the  expression  rich  herbage  is  used,  it  is  not 
meant  that  the  heaviest,  most  luxuriant  pastures  are  the  best. 
On  the  contrary,  sheep  will  do  better  on  short,  rich,  close 
croped  grass  than  on  long  grass.  It  must  be  rich,  but  at  the 
same  time  it  must  be  well  cut  or  cropped. 

The  best  lands  for  the  business  abound  in  our  State. 
The  soil  over  primitive  rocks,  such  as  granitoid,  feldspathic, 
or  micaceous,  such  as  is  found  in  upper  East  Tennessee,  are 
well  suited  for  the  production  of  sheep.  The  sandstone 
soil  of  the  Cumberland  table- lands,  being  dry,  and  produc- 
ing an  abundant  herbage,  are  admirably  adapted  for  sheep 
walks.  In  fact,  all  the  soils  of  the  State,  except  such  as  are 
swampy,  are  well  adapted  to  the  business.  But  let  it  be  con- 
sidered beforehand  thoroughly.  Let  there  be  no  spasmodic 
effort  to  make  a  fortune  in  a  few  years.  The  profits  come 
slowly  but  surely,  and  when  one  has  once  made  up  his  mind 
to  make  it  his  life  business,  his  fortune  is  already  assured. 
With  proper  care  and  attention  a  flock  will  double  itself 


[19] 

every  three  years,  and,  unlike  many  other  branches  of  agri- 
culture, it  will  pay  expenses  all  the  time  of  its  growth.  No 
chance  must  be  trusted.  If  allowed,  the  dogs  will  destroy 
many,  or  the  lambs  will  die  in  severe  weather,  or  from  being 
disowned  by  ewes,  or  many  and  various  causes.  All  these 
things  can  be  obviated  by  strict  attention,  and  the  object  of 
these  pages  is  to  give  such  directions  as  will  leave  nothing 
to  chance  or  luck.  A  judicious  man  will  control  his  own 
luck. 

That  Tennessee  is  capable  of  producing  as  good  sheep  as 
any  State  in  the  Union  will  not  be  questioned,  and  with 
these  preliminary  remarks  we  will  proceed  with  a  short 
statistical  chapter,  showing  the  growth  of  the  business  in 
this  and  foreign  countries. 


[20] 


CHAPTER  II. 

STATISTICAL   INFOEMATION. 

Tennessee  has  labored  under  many  disadvantages  in  re- 
gard to  sheep  raising,  and  consequently  the  actual  capacity 
of  the  State  has  never  been  tested.  In  the  first  place,  pre- 
vious to  the  war  between  the  States,  the  attention  of  farmers 
was  directed  mainly  to  horses  and  mules  and  to  the  crops 
from  the  soil,  instead  of  to  the  production  of  sheep.  The 
work  was  mainly  done  by  negroes,  a  large  number  being 
owned  in  the  State,  and  the  cultivation  of  cotton,  tobacco, 
hemp  and  corn  mainly  engaged  the  attention  of  farmers. 
But  few  saw  proper  even  to  raise  enough  wool  to  make  the 
necessary  clothing  for  the  population,  hence  there  was  an 
actual  falling  off  in  sheep  from  1850  to  1860. 

What  few  did  engage  in  the  business  became  greatly  dis- 
couraged by  the  inroads  of  dogs.  Almost  every  family 
raised  dogs;  many  of  the  well-to-do  farmers  owning  packs 
of  hounds,  and  no  negro  considered  his  outfit  complete  with- 
out one  or  more  worthless  curs.  Being  half  fed  in  many 
instances,  they  naturally  sought  to  provide  for  themselves, 
and  the  sheep  being  a  remarkably  timid  animal,  running 
from  the  sight  of  a  dog,  they  fell  an  easy  prey.  Thus  it 
was  that  the  flocks  of  the  few  who  did  engage  in  sheep  hus- 
bandry suffered  so  severely  that  many  abandoned  the  busi- 
ness in  sheer  despair. 

At  the  same  time  but  little  effort  was  made  to  utilize 
the  immense  natural  pastures  with  which  the  State 
abounds.  Men  thought  it  too  small  a  business  to  watch 
constantly  the  sheep  as  they  roved  through  the  highlands, 
and  hence  many  sheep  were  totally  lost  by  straying,  were 
stolen  or  were  destroyed  by  wolves,  foxes,  eagles  and  vul- 
tures. Although  many  of  the  same  advantages  presented 


[21] 

themselves  then  as  now,  sheep  husbandry  was  not  looked 
upon  as  a  paying  business,  and  so,  by  neglect,  it  did  not 
thrive.  Since  the  war,  however,  more  attention  has  been 
given  the  subject,  and  Tennessee  bids  fair  to  become  the 
great  wool  growing  State  of  the  Union.  Situated  in  a  tem- 
perate climate,  neither  too  hot  nor  too  cold,  she  possesses  all 
the  natural  prerequisites  for  success,  and  no  doubt  will 
achieve  great  success  in  this  branch  of  agriculture. 

A  notable  instance  of  great  success  in  this  branch  of  stock 
raising  is  that  of  Mark  R.  Cockrill,  Esq.,  of  Davidson 
county.  About  half  a  century  ago  he  began  on  a  small 
scale  the  improvement  of  the  native  breeds.  He  imported 
Saxony  and  Merino  sheep,  crossed  th^n.  with  the  ewes  of 
the  country,  and  sold  both  full  blooded  and  graded  animals. 
He  sent  his  agent  traveling  through  the  country  exchanging 
his  sheep  for  the  common  breeds,  as  well  as  selling  them 
for  money.  To  accommodate  his  increasing  flocks  he 
bought  the  hill  lands  adjoining  his  farm,  and  clearing  them 
up  sowed  down  to  blue  grass.  Being  a  shrewd  business 
man  the  enterprise  throve  apace,  and  he  soon  had  established 
a  character  for  having  the  best  sheep  and  the  best  breeds  in 
the  State.  Nor  was  he  content  to  excel  in  Tennessee,  for 
when  he  had  exhausted  the  premiums  of  his  own  country  he 
sent  fleeces  to  the  great  London  World's  Fair,  and  took  the 
highest  premiums  there  offered  for  wools.  What  Mr.  Cock- 
rill  did  then  can  be  done  now  by  any  enterprising  man  who 
will  give  the  business  his  whole  attention. 


[22] 


THE  FOLLOWING  IS  A  LIST  OF  THE  SHEEP  RAISING 
COUNTEIES  OF  THE  WORLD. 


COUNTRIES. 

No.  OF 
SHEEP. 

POUNDS 
OF  WOOL. 

EUKOPE. 
Great  Britain           

35,000,000 
29,000,000 
21,000,000 
50,000,000 
26,000,000 
22,000,000 
2,750,000 
11,000,000 
15,000,000 
2,600,000 
550,000 
1,900,000 
900,000 
600,000 
1,700,000 
1,750,000 

218,000,000 
125,000,000 
60,000,000 
138,000,000 
124,000,000 
69,000,000 
16,000,000 
38,000,000 
37,000,000 
7,500,000 
2,500,000 
8,000,000 
4,500,000 
3,500,000 
6,000,000 
6,250,000 

German  Empire    •  

Italy             

Turkey     

Holland    

AMERICA. 
United  States.....  

221,750,000 

858,750,000 

36,000,000 
2,000,000 
58,000,000 

185,000,000 
8,000,000 
174,000,000 

South  America  and  Mexico                    . 

ASIA  

96,000,000      350,000,000 

175,000,000       45,000,000 

AFRICA. 
Northern           .      

20,000,000 
12,000,000 

51,000,000 

Cape  of  Good  Hope   

Australia  

96,000,000 

32,000,000 

60,000,000      255,000,000 

Grand  Total  

584,750,000  1,926,750,000 

The  following  description  of  the  wool  zone  is  taken  from 
the  United  States  Agricultural  Report : 

"  South  America,  particularly  Buenos  Ayres,  possesses 
great  advantages  for  the  cheap  production  of  wool.  Labor 


[23] 

is  cheap  and  the  population  sparse.  But  the  restless  and 
predatory  character  of  the  population,  and  the  unsettled  na- 
ture of  the  government,  constitute  no  inconsiderable  draw- 
backs to  this,  as  to  every  other  branch  of  industry. 

"Australia  is  another  large  sheep  producing  country,  but 
it  also  has  its  drawbacks.  Professor  McCulloch  states  that 
the  bad  land  in  this  country  bears  a  much  greater  proportion 
to  the  good  than  in  almost  any  other.  It  is  also  subject  to- 
long  continuous  droughts,  often  lasting  six  months.  The 
effects  of  the  drought  in  1841  is  thus  described  by  Mr.  Hood  : 
'It  will  scarcely  be  believed  in  England  that  the  estimated 
number  of  sheep  which  have  died  within  the  last  twelve 
months  in  the  colony,  from  catarrh  and  drought,  is  70,000 ; 
that  colonists  are  compelled,  in  order  to  secure  the  dam 
from  starvation,  to  cut  the  throat  of  her  lamb  ;  that  no  means 
are  adopted  for  securing  a  stock  of  lambs  for  next  year,  or 
that  a  stockholder  would  give  8,000  sheep  to  any  one  that 
would  remove  them  from  his  runs,  and  finding  no  one  who 
would  accept  so  dangerous  a  present,  had  recourse  to  con- 
suming them  by  fire.' 

"'The  wild  and  poachy  nature  of  a  considerable  portion 
of  the  pasture/  says  Mr.  Youatt,  l  gives  the  foot  rot  a  pecu- 
liar character,  and,  if  neglected,  it  'becomes  inveterate  and 
destroys  the  animal.  The  scab  is  a  prevalent  disease,  and 
the  convict  shepherd,  who  has  a  pique  against  his  master, 
can  easily,  by  bringing  his  flock  in  contact  with  a  diseased 
one,  subject  them  to  this  dangerous  and  troublesome  malady/ 

"  '  Epidemics,  supposed  to  be  owing  to  the  astringency  of 
the  water,  and  some  other  causes,  have,  some  years,  cut  off 
half  the  sheep.' 

"  The  above  extracts  are  from  English  writers  of  reputa- 
tion. 

"  In  considerable  portions  of  Hungary  the  climate  is  fine, 
soil  rich  and  labor  cheap.  Sheep  raising  on  the  large  es- 
tates is  very  profitable,  but  she  lacks  facilities  for  cheap 
transportation.  The  Danube  is  her  only  natural  outlet  to 


[24] 

her  commerce.  To  reach  Trieste  a  long  land  carriage  is  in- 
dispensable. Her  exports  too  are  embarrassed  by  imposts 
and  ruinous  restrictions  of  the  imperial  government.  She 
cannot  therefore  export  cheap  heavy  articles  to  advantage. 

"  In  Southern  Russia,  on  the  Steppes  and  in  Bessarabia, 
sheep  raising  is  carried  on  very  extensively,  some  colonists 
owning  flocks  of  20,000  head.  It  is  the  opinion  of  the 
author  that,  taking  into  consideration  the  cost  of  land  and 
labor,  wool  can  be  produced  cheaper  in  Southwestern  Russia 
than  in  Spain,  France,  Germany,  Italy,  or  any  other  portion 
of  Europe,  excepting  Hungary. 

"  Mexico  is  also  a  large  wool  producing  country  of  a  very 
inferior  grade,  classing  with  that  of  Buenos  Ayres.  A  great 
deal  finds  its  way  to  the  United  States  through  Texas. 

uAs  has  been  remarked,  the  United  States  probably  pos- 
sesses half  the  cheap  fertile  lands  included  in  the  wool  zone 
throughout  the  world.  Nearly  her  entire  territory  lies 
within  it.  Experience  has  amply  proved  that  sheep  are 
healthy  in  every  portion  of  the  United  States.  The  terrible 
drought  and  predisposition  to  certain  diseases  encountered 
by  the  Australian  flock-master,  the  comparative  insecurity 
of  property  in  Buenos  Ayres,  the  climatic  vicissitudes  of 
Southern  Russia,  (with-  the  exception  of  the  comparatively 
small  peninsula  of  Tanrida),  are  none  of  them  known  in  our 
most  favored  wool  growing  regions.  Land  is  cheaper  here 
and  more  fertile,  and  much  nearer  the  great  wool  markets 
of  the  world  than  in  Australia.  Our  lands  are  probably  as 
cheap  as  those  of  Hungary  and  Southern  Russia,  and  for  a 
long  series  of  years  to  come,  will  be  practicably  as  cheap  as 
those  of  Buenos  Ayres,  because  the  purchase  of  only  a  quar- 
ter section  (80  acres)  of  government  lands  will  give  the  pos- 
sessor the  use  of  all  contiguous  ones  until  they  are  occupied. 

"Under  all  the  above  circumstances,  we  ought  to  compete 
successfully  with  South  America,  Hungary  and  Southern 
Russia  in  external  markets,  to  undersell  Australia  in  these 
markets,  and  with  the  discrimination  of  our  tariff  of  duties 


[25] 

against  them,  to  drivo  all  foreign  wools  from  our  own  mar- 
kets." 

Lest  some  may  think  that  the  business  in  time  may  be 
overdone,  when  it  will  be  no  longer  profitable  to  grow  wool, 
I  subjoin  a  careful  calculation  copied  irom  the  Patent  Office 
reports,  showing  the  amount  of  wool  which  will  be  required 
to  clothe  the  people  of  this  country : 

"The  annual  consumption  of  the  entire  population 
of  the  United  States  is  estimated  at  six  pounds  per 
head ;  to  place  the  estimates  which  follow  certainly  within 
the  bounds  of  truth,  we  will  assume  the  average  at  four 
pounds. 

"  By  the  first  six  censuses  the  increase  of  population  was 
three  per  cent,  per  year,  annually  compounded  would  double 
it  in  twenty-three  years  and  one  hundred  and  sixty-four 
days.  Estimating  the  rate  of  increase  from 

1840  to  1890  at  three  per  cent.,  which  would  double  the 
population  as  above  stated,  and  after  1890  at  two  per  cent., 
which  would  double  it  in  about  twenty-six  years,  the  follow- 
ing would  be  our  population  at  the  periods  indicated,  arid 
the  amount  of  wool  which,  according  to  the  previous  esti- 
mate, would  be  necessary  for  their  consumption: 

YEAR.  POPULATION.  POUNDS  OF  WOOL. 

1863-4  34,136,906  136,555,624 

1886-7  68,277,812  273,111,248 

1925  136,555,624  546,222,496 

1963  273,111,248  1,092,444,992 

"Thus  in  one  hundred  and  twelve  years  our  population 
is  likely  to  outnumber  the  present  one  of  Europe,  and  our 
annual  consumption  of  wool  to  exceed  on^  billion  and  nine- 
ty-two millions  of  pounds.  Assuming' that  sheep  average 
two  pounds  of  wool  per  head,  it  will  require  over  364,000,- 
000  of  sheep  to  supply  the  demand.  The  States  south  of 
the  Potomac  and  Ohio,  east  of  the  Mississippi,  containing 
450,000  square  miles,  would  support  all  there  at  a  trifle  over 
one  and  one-fourth  sheep  to  the  acre." 


[26] 


AMOUNT  AND  VALUE  OF  WOOLENS  AND  WOOL  IMPOETED 
FEOM  FOKEIGN  COUNTRIES. 


WOOLENS. 

WTOOL. 

AT'-tyi  4  T>C* 

1  Jt/A  ivS. 

Value. 

Pounds. 

Value. 

Cents  per 

pounds. 

1861 

$28,261,039 

36,000,000 

$  4,961,326 

13.7 

1862 

14,884,394 

43,571,026 

6,994,604 

16. 

1863 

20,411,025 

73,897,807 

12,553,931 

16.9 

1864 

32,139,336 

90,396,104 

15,923,991 

17.6 

1865 

20,347,563 

43,858,154 

7,728,383 

17.6 

1866 

57,115,901 

67,917,031 

9,381,083 

13.8 

1867 

45,813,212 

36,318,299             5,915,178 

16. 

1868 

32,371,329 

24,124,803 

3,792,659 

15.7 

1869 

34,560,324 

39,275,926 

5,600,958 

14.2 

1870 

34,435,623 

49,250,199 

6,743,350 

13.6 

1871 

43,751,973 

68,058,028 

9,780,443 

14.3 

1872 

52,176,260 

122,256,499 

26,214,195 

21.5 

1873 

50,875,805 

85,496,049 

20,433,938 

23.9 

1874 

46,732,032 

42,939,541 

8,250,306 

19.2 

1875 

44,440,940 

54,903,654 

11,069,901 

20.1 

FROM  WHENCE  IMPORTED. 

YEARS. 

GREAT 
RRITAIN. 

SOUTH 
AFRICA. 

AUSTRALIA. 

ARGENTINE 
REPUBLIC 

HUNGARY. 

1862 
1863 
1864 
1865 
1866 
1867 
1868 

Pounds. 

16,006,963 
17,619,123 
13,099,501 
1,980,176 
8,541,195 
6,758,820 
2,581,678 

Pounds. 

3,920,257 
6,711,975 
13,717,900 
8,312,768 
7,424,217 
2,033,020 
964,314 

Pounds. 

783,670 
118,234 
864,548 
408,592 
874,119 
467,025 

Pounds. 

5,786,868 
17,461,208 
23,951,506 
16,103,889 
36,916,794 
12,666,274 
5,835,864 

Pounds. 

14,061 
476,815 
3,490,800 
1,164,260 
2,224,629 
1,434,594 
466,712 

1869 

8  598  299 

2  644  504 

8  249  659 

932  369 

1870 
1871 
1872 
1873 
1874 

8,140,697 
15,593,166 
40,250,449 
19,040,920 
7,966,382 

5,089,153 
6,699,057 
14,820,876 
12,830,858 
4,622,273 

168,902 
19,957 
12,748,548 
7,661,262 
3,905,671 

16,721,420 
23,333.237 
24,731,834 
17,449,563 
8,502,027 

1,547,106 
4,594,238 
7,110,871 
6,110,911 
4,604,275 

"The  increase  of  the  average  price  in  recent  years,  as  seen 
in  the  former  table,  is  explained  by  the  large  proportion,  as 
shown  above,  obtained  from  Great  Britain  and  her  colonies, 


[27] 

producing  wool  of  better  quality  and  higher  price  than  that 
of  South  America. 

"The  average  supply  since  1870  may  properly  be  placed 
at  224,000,000  pounds,  of  which  two-thirds  is  home  grown, 
but  the  nominal  third  of  the  foreign  is  mostly  unwashed 
Merino  and  low  grade  carpet  wool,  constituting  not  more 
than  one-fourth  of  the  value  of  our  wool  supply. 

"It  is  a  suggestive  and  gratifying  fact,  that  while  the 
value  of  our  manufactures  is  about  four  times  as  great  as  in 
1850,  the  average  of  imports  of  woolens  of  the  last  five  years 
($23,797,698),  exceeds  but  little  that  of  the  entire  period  of 
fifty-five  years  ($21,191,674),  beginning  with  the  very  in- 
fancy of  this  benificent  industry.  It  is  particularly  note- 
worthy that  our  imports  since  1870  are  less  by  several  mil- 
lions annually  than  for  the  period  between  1850  and  I860, 
notwithstanding  the  immense  increase  in  the  consumption 
of  woolen  goods." 

Having  reviewed  the  rise  and  progress  of  sheep  hus- 
bandry in  other  countries,  and  other  portions  of  our  own, 
we  now  come  to  our  own  highly  favored  State,  Tennessee. 
The  formidable  array  of  figures  against  us  may  well  make 
us  stand  aghast  as  in  despair  of  our  being  able  to  contend  in 
any  appreciable  degree  against  such  fearful  odds,  but  we 
shall  endeavor  to  show  that,  though  numbers  will  always  be 
against  us,  there  is  no  reason  why  we  may  not  rise  to  a  pro- 
portionate value  of  the  grand  total.  Our  favored  geograph- 
ical position  and  climate,  and  the  changed  character  of  the 
requirements  of  the  trade,  justify  us  in  this  assumption.  In 
all  the  sheep  producing  countries  of  the  world  there  are  only 
four  in  which  it  is  practicable  to  meet  these  requirements, — 
England,  France,  Germany  and  the  Uuited  States.  All 
others  are  debarred  by  climate  or  distance,  or  other  causes, 
from  entering  into  competition  with  them.  This  narrows 
the  field  wonderfully,  and  enables  Tennessee  to  bear  her 
proportion  to  other  parts  of  the  country  in  the  enterprise. 
By  these  requirements  of  course  we  mean  the  raising  of  the 


[28] 

improved  breeds  of  medium  and  long-wooled  sheep  for  both 
wool  and  mutton.  Happily,  we  are  enabled  to  state  that 
our  farmers  are  already  waking  up  to  the  importance  of  this, 
to  them,  new  enterprise,  and  from  the  few  successful  experi- 
ments they  have  made,  are  encouraged  to  continue  and  to 
extend  their  operations.  At  the  beginning  of  the  year,  we 
issued  circulars  to  all  the  principal  sheep  raisers  in  the  State, 
soliciting  their  view  and  experience  upon  the  subject.  Their 
answers  have  been  most  gratifying  and  satisfactory.  They 
are  not  as  full  and  complete  as  we  could  wish,  but  one  and 
oil  agree  upon  the  practicability  and  advantages  of  the 
change,  and  propose  to  increase  the  number  of  their  flocks 
of  improved  breeds  as  fast  as  their  means  and  opportunities 
will  admit  of.  The  results  of  these  experiments  are  the 
more  gratifying  because  there  are  no  States  south  of  Ten- 
nessee in  which  the  long  wooled  mutton  sheep  can  be  raised 
advantageously.  If  there  were,  they  would  have  no  market 
for  their  surpus  lambs  and  mutton.  Tennessee  has  a  good 
market  for  early  spring  lambs  in  St.  Louis,  Louisville  and 
Cincinnati,  and  as  soon  as  the  Northern  States  begin  to  ship 
mutton  to  England  as  they  are  now  doing  beef,  she  will 
have  a  good  market  for  all  she  can  spare. 

In  1875  the  Commissioner  of  Agriculture  of  the  State  of 
Georgia  issued  a  similar  circular  addressed  to  the  farmers 
and  sheep  raisers  of  Georgia.  From  the  answers  received 
he  arrives  at  the  following  conclusions,  viz. :  "  That  the 
cross  of  the  Merino  upon  the  native  is  the  most  profitable; 
that  the  other  pure  breeds  (long  wooled  sheep)  have  proved 
to  be  unhealthy.  Sheep  are  not  housed  in  winter,  but  al- 
lowed to  run  at  large  during  the  whole  year.  The  annual 
cost  of  keeping  sheep  is  about  fifty-three  cents.  Lambs 
sold  to  the  butcher  at  $1.87,  mutton  sheep  $2.75.  Dogs 
very  destructive.  Census  estimate  of  the  number  of  sheep 
in  1870,  419,465;  present  estimate  319,323,  a  decrease  from 
1870  to  1875  of  100,142.' 

The  census  returns  of  1870  give   the  total    number   of 


[29] 

sheep  in  Tennessee,  826,783.  The  present  estimated  number 
is  over  1,000,000.  A  new  impetus  has  been  given  to  the 
business  wjthin  the  past  five  or  six  years  by  the  introduction 
of  the  improved  breeds.  The  replies  to  our  circulars  show 
a  growing  interest  among  our  farmers  in  regard  to  them. 
Their  favorite  breeds  are  the  Southdowns  and  Cotswold  ;  the 
first  cross  of  either  upon  the  native  ' scrub7  shows  a  marked 
improvement.  The  third  cross,  particularly  with  the  South- 
down, is  scarcely  distinguishable  from  the  pure  breed.  The 
Southdown  is  regarded  as  rather  the  hardier  sheep.  Those 
situated  convenient  to  railroads  realize  $4  to  $4.50  for  their 
spring  lambs,  and  obtain  from  40  to  70  cents  for  their  wool 
when  sent  to  the  eastern  markets.  Common  sheep  average 
three  pounds  of  wool,  improved  breeds  six  to  eight  pounds. 
They  report  no  diseases  among  their  improved  breeds. 
They  regard  the  climate  favorable  for  them.  No  improved 
system  of  feeding  has  yet  been  generally  adopted.  The 
number  of  sheep  kept  by  individual  farmers  range  from 
fifty  to  five  hundred  head.  Those  who  sell  their  sheep  and 
mutton  at  home  do  not  realize  remunerative  prices.  Native 
sheep  bring  from  $1.50  to  $2  per  head.  Wool  20  to  25 
cents,  unwashed.  Cost  of  raising  wool  ranges  from  5  to 
10  cents  per  pound,  cost  of  keeping  sheep  50  to  75  cents  per 
annum.  All  complain  bitterly  of  the  repeal  of  the  dog  law, 
many  proposing  to  engage  in  the  business  have  abandoned 
the  idea  in  consequence.  Estimated  loss  by  dogs  from  S 
to  10  per  cent.  See  Appendix  for  more  precise  details  as  to 
sheep  husbandry  in  each  county. 


[30] 

NDMBEK  OF  SHEEP  IN  TENNESSEE. 


CUTTNTY. 

No.  IN 

1860. 

No.  IN 

1870. 

COUNTY. 

No.  IN 
1860. 

No.  IN 
1870. 

Anderson  .  .      . 

6,919 

6064 

Lawrence  

5,744 

5,520 

Bedford  

21375 

25204 

Lewis  

2,587 

1,676 

Benton  

6,617 

7790 

Lincoln  

19,534 

27,075 

Bledsoe 

4179 

5555 

Macon 

6362 

8175 

Blount 

ll'()97 

10828 

McMinn 

8999 

3558 

Bradley  

7,582 

9,146 

McNairy  

8,870 

5,605 

Campbell  

5,294 

6,671 

Madison.  

11,055 

16,218 

Cannon 

8506 

12  198 

Marion 

3437 

21  330 

Carroll 

10'276 

10822 

M  arsh  al  1 

14521 

9829 

Carter  

4,110 

5,430 

Maury  

21,181 

9,865 

Cheatham 

4367 

4825 

Meigs       .    ... 

3674 

4392 

Claiborne 

10882 

9  502 

Monroe 

10371 

8346 

Cocke 

6529 

9730 

Montgomery 

10422 

8015 

Coffee 

7  125 

8  107 

Morgan      

4938 

4,312 

Cumberland 

2651 

4466 

Obion     

6,776 

10,505 

Davidson 

15940 

12221 

Over  ton  

11,833 

17,293 

Decatur 

5'  844 

5649 

Perry              

6,878 

5,328 

DeKalb 

8093 

11  473 

Polk      

3,480 

4,642 

Dickson 

9  282 

6  925 

Pu  tn  am  

7,414 

10,460 

Dyer 

6'735 

8  831 

Rhea      

3,557 

5,306 

Fayette 

11  269 

3828 

Roane    

12290 

10,552 

Fen  tress 

4749 

5021 

Robertson  

11,737 

11,146 

Franklin 

9480 

8820 

Rutherford  

23,133 

17,183 

Gibson 

16  822 

14113 

Scott      

4,772 

6,589 

Giles 

15684 

18658 

Sevier    

7,657 

2,972 

Grainger  

6,991 

9,797 

Sequachie  

1,774 

9,578 

Greene 

18  826 

21  130 

Shelby  

7,198 

5,720 

Grundy 

2021 

1  880 

Smith  

13,555 

17,591 

Hamilton 

5  127 

6741 

Stewart  

7,178 

8,939 

Hancock  

5,254 

7,365 

14,735 

15,634 

Hardeinan 

7  604 

7  139 

Sumner  

18,363 

20,421 

Hardin 

7  867 

8044 

Tipton   

5417 

4,675 

Hawkins 

16881 

16567 

Union    

5,382 

6,326 

Haywood 

11  627 

5  206 

Van  Buren  

2,405 

3,247 

Henderson 

9  203 

10  168 

Warren  

10,702 

12,495 

Henry 

13824 

10  878 

Washington  

12,342 

13,208 

Hickman 

8967 

6927 

Wayne  

9,674 

Humphreys 

9  493 

8937 

Weakley  

10,742 

13,034 

Jackson 

10479 

15  323 

White  

5,834 

8,144 

Jefferson 

13647 

11  598 

Williamson  

19,142 

15,226 

Johnson 

3  910 

6004 

Wilson  

21,045 

24,023 

10  329 

13  441 

Lake 

816 

Total  

773,317 

826,783 

Lauderdale  

2,757 

3,118 

[31] 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  ADAPTABILITY  OF  THE  SOIL  OF   TENNESSEE  TO  SHEEP 
HUSBANDRY. 

Probably  DO  section  of  the  American  Union  presents  so 
many  advantages  for  the  successful  raising  of  sheep  as  that 
wide  stretch  of  country  embraced  between  the  Alleghany 
mountains  on  the  east  and  the  Mississippi  river  on  the  west, 
and  extending  from  the  thirty- fourth  to  the  forty-second 
parallels  of  latitude.  This  includes  the  very  heart  of  the 
Mississippi  Valley,  and  its  diversification  of  surface,  great 
variety  of  soils,  and  genial  climate  ensure  the  success- 
ful growth  of  all  the  more  nutritious  grasses.  Within  this 
area  the  cold  is  not  so  severe  during  winter  as  to  make  the 
care  of  sheep  a  source  of  great  concern  ;  nor  are  the  heats 
of  summer  so  extreme  as  to  produce,  after  a  few  generations, 
a  degeneracy  of  the  character  of  the  fleece.  It  is  well 
known  to  naturalists  that  within  the  limits  of  hot  climates 
the  wool  often  disappears  from  the  whole  body  of  the  sheep 
and  is  replaced  by  a  hairy  coating.  According  to  some 
scientists  this  is  a  case  of  unequal  development,  the  hair 
growing  more  rapidly  than  the  wool,  and  crowding  it  out; 
or  it  may  be  that  nature,  disdaining  to  work  for  no  effect, 
supplies  the  cooler  coating  of  hair  for  the  warmer  one  of 
wool.  In  the  heated  valleys  of  the  Codilleras,  according  to 
the  authority  of  Roulin,  if  the  lambs  are  sheared  as  soon  as 
the  wool  has  grown  to  a  certain  thickness,  all  goes  on  after- 
wards as  usual,  but  if  not  sheared  a  short  shining  hair  like 
that  of  the  goat  is  produced  ever  afterward. 

Tennessee  may  be  called  the  center  of  this  vast  sheep 
producing  area,  and  it  certainly  presents  in  its  variety  of 
soils,  surface  configuration,  and  climatic  elements,  all  the 
combined  advantages  of  the  States  surrounding  it.  This  is 


[321 

made  apparent  by  a  cursory  examination  of  the  different 
natural  divisions.  The  climate  embraced  within  its  limits 
is  peculiar  in  the  fact  that  it  is  very  greatly  modified 
by  reason  of  the  existence  of  mountain  heights,  rolling 
plains,  level  surfaces,  by  water  courses,  trend  of  mountain 
ranges,  and  great  forests.  The  mountains  which  bound  it 
on  the  east  rise  in  massive  proportions  from  3,000  to  6,500 
feet  above  the  surface  of  tide  water,  and  the  average  annual 
temperature  does  not  exceed  fifty- four  degrees.  These 
mountains  are  usually  steep,  but  not  rugged,  and  where  the 
metamorphic  soils  prevail  they  are  beautifully  rounded,  and 
their  sides  are  clothed  with  gigantic  trees,  suggestive  of  the 
fertility  of  the  soils.  On  the  tops  or  crests  of  these  moun- 
tains treeless  spots  often  occur,  but  the  surface  in  such  places 
is  matted  with  everlasting  grasses  of  great  variety,  succu- 
lence, and  nutrition.  I  have  seen  timothy  (Phleum  pratense), 
herd's- grass  (Agrostis  vulgaris),  blue  grass  (Poa  pratensis), 
goose  grass  (Poa  annuo),  meadow  fescue  or  evergreen 
(Festucapratensis),  white  clover  (Trifolium  repens),  and  many 
others  growing  side  by  side,  and  forming  a  turf  unsurpassed 
in  the  richest  basin  soils  of  Tennessee  or  Kentucky.  These 
grasses  form  a  regular  succession,  and  supply  grazing 
throughout  the  summer  months.  And  by  reason  of 
the  frequent  rains  during  the  growing  seasons,  they 
furnish  far  more  grazing  than  they  would  in  the  valley 
lands,  where  summer  showers  are  more  unfrequent.  I  es- 
timate that  two  acres  on  the  mountain  top  will  supply  as 
much  grazing  as  three  in  the  valleys.  It  must  be  remem- 
bered that  the  warm  south  winds,  freighted  with  moisture 
from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  which  blow  almost  constantly 
during  the  summer  months,  are  arrested  in  their  northern 
course  up  the  valley  of  East  Tennessee  by  their  mountain 
barriers,  and  the  water  is  squeezed  from  them  by  the  rapid 
diminution  in  their  temperature  when  they  strike  the  cool 
surface  of  the  mountain  tops.  Scarcely  a  day  passes  in 
summer  without  a  shower.  Many  of  the  spurs  of  these 


[331 

mountains  are  of  sandstone  origin.  Such  spurs  are  very 
barren.  No  nutritious  grasses  grow  on  them,  only  greenish 
running  briers,  lichens,  mosses  and  ferns.  It  might  be 
supposed  that  these  frequent  rains  would  give  a  humidity 
to  this  region  too  great  for  the  health  of  sheep.  This  is 
only  true  within  limits.  Where  the  soil  is  retentive  of 
moisture,  such  as  the  boggy  places,  sheep  will  not  thrive, 
but  by  far  the  greater  portion  of  the  soil  drains  rapidly,  and 
after  each  shower  the  sun  comes  out  with  a  singular  bright- 
ness, and  dissipates  the  moisture,  besides,  evaporation  at 
these  great  heights  goes  on  with  more  rapidity  than  in  the 
valleys  below.  The  eastern,  southern,  and  western  slopes 
of  these  mountains  are  well  adapted  to  sheep  husbandry, 
but  the  northern  slopes  are  so  thickly  covered  with  mosses 
and  ferns,  forming  a  mass  often  one  to  two  feet  deep,  that 
all  grasses  are  rooted  out,  and  the  moisture  is  constantly 
held  by  the  thick  mats. 

These  cleared  slopes  in  south-western  Virginia  are  the 
very  best  grazing  grounds  in  that  State,  and  in  these  coun- 
ties in  Tennessee,  notably  Johnson  and  Carter,  where  the 
rich  mountain  sides  have  been  denuded  of  timber,  sheep 
husbandry  is  accounted  very  profitable.  The  wool,  too,  is 
of  singular  excellence,  and  brings  in  the  market  several 
cents  more  per  pound  than  the  valley- grown  wool. 

After  a  patient  investigation  of  the  subject  I  cannot  sub- 
scribe to  the  doctrine  laid  down  by  Mr.  Henry  Stewart,  in 
his  work  entitled  "The  Shepherd's  Manual" — a  work  of 
singular  excellence  and  merit,  and  to  which  I  am  much  in- 
debted— that  sheep  do  not  thrive  well  on  metarnorphic  soils. 
This  may  be  true  of  the  latitude  of  New  England  and  old 
England,  but  in  the  latitude  of  Tennessee,  North  Carolina, 
and  Virginia,  sheep  upon  those  soils  are  fruitful  and 
healthy,  long  livers,  and  abundant  bearers  of  wool.  Other 
causes  must  be  assigned  for  their  un healthiness  than  the 
metamorphic  origin  of  the  soils,  for  it  is  not  universally 
true,  and  as  far  as  Virginia,  North  Carolina,  and  Tennessee 
3 


[34] 

are  concerned,  not  true  at  all.  In  my  opinion,  no  better 
spot  could  be  selected  for  a  sheep  farm  than  the  slopes  of 
the  A.lleghany  mountains.  They  are  well  drained,  they  are 
fertile,  they  abound  in  native  grasses,  they  are  convenient 
to  market,  they  supply  a  safe  refuge  from  the  heats  of  sum- 
mer and  from  the  chilling  blasts  of  winter,  and  from  the 
vexatious  annoyance  of  flies.  But  I  would  not  advise  the 
growing  of  heavy  sheep  except  on  the  level  plateaus.  The 
hardy  Merino,  the  nimble  and  fleet  footed  Cheviot,  would 
find  on  the  sunny  slopes  of  these  mountains  a  home  far 
more  congenial  than  upon  the  Pyrenees  of  Spain  or  the 
Grampian  hills  of  Scotland.  The  natives  found  on  these 
mountain  heights  are  as  fleet  as  the  deer  and  as  healthy. 
The  wool  is  very  white,  soft  as  fur,  firm,  lustrous,  true, 
and  the  sheep  show  a  beautiful  adaptation  to  the  locality 
which  they  occupy.  These  natives,  crossed  with  Merino 
or  Cheviot,  would  give  the  very  best  sheep  for  the  moun- 
tains. The  words  of  Darwin  on  this  subject  are  full  of 
wisdom  for  the  enlightened  flock-master.  He  says: 

"The  most  common  and  profitable  use  of  crossing  has 
been  to  improve  common  breeds  of  animals,  or  rather  to 
transform  them  into  the  improved  breeds.  This  has  be- 
come so  common  in  all  parts  of  the  country,  that  it  is  not 
necessary  to  dwell  upon  it;  it  is  never  amiss,  however,  to 
remind  farmers  that  improved  animals  always  need  improved 
care  and  feed.  Five  or  six  crosses,  with  careful  selection, 
will  transform  almost  any  scrub  animals  into  thoroughbreds, 
'  or  into  animals  that  cannot  be  distinguished  from  thorough- 
breds, and  which,  for  all  practical  purposes,  are  equal  to 
them.  It  would,  then,  require  but  a  lew  years  of  united 
endeavor  to  canse  the  scrub  animals  to  disappear  from  every 
part  of  our  country,  and  animals  as  good  as  our  best 
thoroughbreds  to  take  their  place,  were  it  not  for  the  in- 
creased requirements  of  such  animals,  and  the  apparent  im- 
possibility of  so  suddenly  modifying  our  agriculture  as  to 
provide  the  necessary  conditions  for  their  existence." 


[35] 

The  native  sheep  of  every  country  are  a  correct  expression 
-of  what  the  food  and  climate  of  that  country  will  produce. 
Their  constitutions  are  moulded 'to  suit  their  environments. 
'Crossed  upon  improved  breeds  the  hardiness  of  constitution 
is  united  to  the  desirable  qualities  of  thoroughbreds.  In 
any  attempt,  therefore,  at  sheep  raising  in  these  mountains 
this  idea  should  not  be  lost  sight  of,  and  the  very  best  foun- 
dation for  a  flock  is  the  native  ewes,  crossed  on  some  of 
the  improved  breeds. 

The  valley  of  East  Tennessee  consists  of  a  great  wide 
trough,  bounded  by  parallel  mountain  sides,  that  on  the  east 
being  the  great  Unaka  mountains,  those  on  the  west  making 
up  the  eastern  escarpment  of  the  mountainous  coal  field  of 
Tennessee.  This  included  trough  or  valley  trends  obliquely 
northeast  and  southwest,  which  is  the  general  direction  of 
the  great  Appalachian  chain,  and  of  the  Atlantic  coast. 
Measured  on  the  northern  boundary  of  the  State,  and 
obliquely  to  its  course,  this  trough  is  one  hundred  miles 
wide,  and  in  the  southern  fifty  miles,  and  is  one  hundred 
and  eighty  miles  long.  One  of  the  remarkable  peculiarities 
of  this  valley  is  that  its  surface  is  longitudinally  fluted  by 
parallel  minor  valleys  and  ridges.  In  this  it  differs  from 
all  other  parts  of  the  State.  This  feature  gives  a  certain 
direction  to  its  rivers,  and  more  especially  to  its  smaller 
streams.  This  trough  or  great  valley  is,  in  the  main,  the 
agricultural  region  of  East  Tennessee.  The  principal  stream 
is  the  Tennessee,  the  tributaries  of  which,  on  the  east,  are 
the  Watauga,  the  French  Broad,  the  Little  Tennessee  and 
the  Hiwassee;  on  the  west  the  Clinch  and  the  Sequatchie. 
This  valley  has  a  climate  more  equable  and  pleasant  than 
that  of  any  other  part  of  North  America  east  of  the  Rocky 
mountains.  It  lies  between  parallels  35°  and  36°4'  north, 
and  its  mean  altitude  is  one  thousand  feet  above  the  sea 
level.  The  prevailing  winds  are  from  the  southwest  and 
west,  and  they  bring  a  constant  and  bountiful  supply  of  rain 
from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 


[36] 

Knoxville  is  the  geographical  center  of  East  Tennessee, 
and  it  occupies  a  mean  elevation  too,  so  that  it  may  be  taken 
as  the  climatic  center  also. 

The  summer  mean  at  Knoxville,  73°6',  is  about  that  of 
Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  as  well  as  that  of  several  points 
in  central  Virginia,  of  Cincinnati,  Louisville,  Kentucky, 
southern  Indiana,  and  central  Illinois.  It  is  that  of  the 
central  part  of  Spain,  and  the  northern  part  of  Italy.  The 
summer  of  the  East  Tennessee  Valley  is,  therefore,  consider- 
ing its  valley-like  character  and  its  low  latitude,  a  compara- 
tively cool  one.  This  is  mostly  due  to  the  considerable 
elevation  of  the  region  above  the  sea. 

According  to  very  careful  observations  made  at  the  Ten- 
nessee University,  under  the  direction  of  the  United  States 
signal  service,  at  Knoxville, 

The  mean  temperature  for  the  year  is 57° 

The  mean  heat  for  the  summer  is 74° 

The  mean  cold  for  the  winter  is 40° 

Average  maximum  temperature 91° 

Average  minimum , 2° 

The  result  is  a  mild  and  equable  climate,  that  combines 
delightfully  the  temperate  and  tropical,  without  the  extremes 
of  either. 

The  mountains  on  either  side  protect  the  valley  from  the 
blighting  and  chilling  northern  and  northwestern  winds 
that  so  scourge  the  plains  of  the  northwest,  while  they  act 
as  a  natural  conduit  for  the  milder  and  gentler  winds  that 
come  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  But  even  these  are  tem- 
pered into  pleasant  breezes  by  the  spurs  or  cross  sections  of 
mountains  which  break  out  from  the  main  ranges.  Thus  it 
comes,  that  while  it  is  a  very  rare  occurrence  to  see  the 
anemometer  standing  still,  destructive  storms  are  never  ex- 
perienced. A  happy  result  of  these  influences  is  a  degree 
of  exemption  from  all  malarial  and  atmospheric  diseases, 
unsurprssed  in  any  country.  The  undulating  surface  of  the 
land,  the  great  numbers  and  rapid  flow  of  the  rivers,  the 


[37] 

entire  absence  of  all  low  and  marshy  lands,  and  the  con- 
stant flow  of  gentle  breezes,  keep  the  atmosphere  pure  and 
exhilarating  to  a  delightful  degree. 

The  rich,  undulating  surface  of  this  great  valley,  its  ad- 
mirable drainage,  its  suitableness  for  a  mixed  husbandry, 
and  its  great  healthfulness,  have  made  it  a  very  populous 
region,  while  the  grandeur  and  picturesqueness  of  the  land- 
scape have  entitled  it  to  be  called  the  Switzerland  of 
America.  Within  recent  years  it  has  won  an  enviable 
character  for  the  excellence  of  its  stock,  and  especially  for 
sheep.  Two  of  the  most  splendid  fleeces  exhibited  at  the 
recent  Paris  Exhibition  were  sent  from  East  Tennessee,  one 
grown  by  Col.  Tom  Crutchfield,  near  Chattanooga,  and  the 
other  by  Mr.  H.  H.  Matlock,  of  McMinn  county.  For 
length  and  lustre,  and  uniformity  of  fibre,  these  fleeces  bore 
off  a  prize  medal,  and  this,  two,  without  having  any  one 
to  exhibit  them,  or  any  particular  attention  directed  to 
them. 

Nearly  every  farmer  in  this  valley  has  a  few  sheep,  some 
of  them  splendid  flocks,  and  no  complaint  has  ever  reached 
me  of  unhealthiness  where  the  flock  was  built  upon  the 
native  ewes.  (See  Mr.  Crutchfield's  letter  in  Appendix.) 

The  Cumberland  Table -land  is  two  thousand  feet  above 
tide- water,  with  a  dry  sandstone  soil,  and  an  exceedingly 
cool  and  pleasant  climate  in  summer,  the  mean  temperature 
being  about  71°.  The  air  is  dry  and  bracing.  During  the 
summer  months  the  surface  of  the  earth  is  covered  with 
tussocks  of  fine,  nutritious  mountain  grasses,  and  furnish 
ample  sustenance  for  sheep  eight  months  in  the  year.  In 
addition  to  the  wild  grasses,  herdVgrass,  clover,  and  orchard 
grass,  with  slight  attention  to  manuring,  will  grow  well. 
Wild  peas  also  furnish  a  nutritious  herbage.  The  soil  can 
easily  be  made  to  yield  sufficient  supplies  for  winter  feeding 
by  sowing  it  in  stock  peas,  a  food  not  only  healthful  for 
sheep,  but  highly  relished  by  cattle. 

To  be  successful  in  sheep  raising  on  this  Table-land,  the 


[38] 

breeder  must  be  careful  to  build  shelters  for  protecting  his 
flocks  from  the  middle  of  November  until  the  middle  of 
March.  The  climate  is  very  rigorous  in  winter,  and  the 
keen  northern  and  northwestern  blasts  will  speedily  impair 
the  health  of  the  improved  and  tender  breeds.  The  native 
sheep  are  very  healthy,  and  rarely  suffer  from  any  disease, 
though  they  are  not  profitable,  the  wool  being  coarse  and 
short,  and  the  carcass  light  and  lean.  This  arises,  however, 
more  from  neglect  than  from  any  local  cause.  It  should 
never  be  forgotten  that  thrifty  flocks  may  be  raised  where- 
ever  industrious  men  and  good  breeders  live,  and  that  the 
best  flocks  will  degenerate  where  inattention  and  neglect  are 
practiced. 

The  advantages  offered  by  this  mountain  region  for  the 
economical  rearing  of  sheep  are  : 

1.  The  cheapness  of  the  lands.  Lands  may  be  bought 
at  almost  a  nominal  price  on  the  Cumberland  mountains. 
Though  high  and  healthy,  the  soil  in  comparison  with  that 
of  the  valleys  is  poor  and  unproductive.  The  price  for 
wild,  highway-pasture  land  varies  from  fifty  cents  to  three 
dollars  per  acre,  depending  mainly  upon  nearness  to  rail- 
roads and  markets.  Care  should  be  taken,  though,  to  in- 
vestigate the  titles  thoroughly,  for  one  of  the  most  unwise 
acts  of  our  past  legislation  was  the  opening  of  a  land  office^ 
and  allowing  every  one  to  make  his  own  surveys,  and  re- 
ceive a  grant  for  lands  based  upon  such  surveys.  Often- 
times it  happened  that  the  same  land  had  been  entered  in 
whole  or  in  part  by  others.  The  possession  of  a  land  grant 
does  not  carry  with  it  in  this  State  a  title,  but  the  title  rests 
with  the  oldest  grant,  assuming  it  to  have  been  regularly 
entered  at  first,  Let  strangers  beware  of  purchasing  moun- 
tain lands  without  a  rigid  investigation  of  title.  I  am  led 
to  make  these  remarks  because  complaints  have  reached  this 
office  that  persons  have  been  swindled  in  purchasing  land 
grants.  There  is  no  difficulty  about  securing  good  titles  to 
valley  lands,  but  there  is  danger  that  a  person  may  buy 


[39] 

land  upon  the  mountain  with  a  grant  from  the  State,  bear- 
ing the  great  seal  of  authority,  and  have  no  title. 

2.  The  second  advantage  these  mountain  lands  offer  for 
sheep  raising  is  in  the  wide  range  of  pasturago.     The  open 
woods  permit  the  luxuriant  gr6wth  of  nutritious  herbs  and 
grasses  throughout  the  summer,  and  will  subsist  millions  of 
sheep  for  eight  months  in  the  year  without  any  other  care 
than  salting. 

3.  A  third  advantage  may  be  found  in  the  dry  ness  of  the 
sandstone  soil,  which  insures  exemption  from  many  of  the 
diseases  fatal  to  sheep.     No  foot  ail,  no  braxy,  no  impaired 
organs  of  digestion,  no  blind  staggers,  and,  indeed,  no  other 
disease  than  old  age,  or  starvation  through  want  of  care,  has 
ever  attacked  them.     No  do  flies  annoy  or  vex  flocks  as 
they  do  in  the  lower  plains. 

There  are  also  some  disadvantages  attending  raising 
sheep  upon  this  mountain.  The  pasturage  is  so  extensive 
that  they  often  stray  off  arid  are  lost.  There  is,  also,  the 
calycanthus,  that  on  some  of  the  slopes  grows  vigorously, 
bearing  seed,  readily  eaten  by  sheep  in  winter,  and  which  is 
a  deadly  poison.  To  guard  against  this,  sheep  should  be 
driven  up  and  fed  before  the  rigor  of  winter  and  the  scarcity 
of  grass  compel  them  to  devour  such  food.  Another  draw- 
back will  be  found  in  the  distance  from  market.  While  the 
wool  may  be  easily  conveyed  to  shipping  points  at  a  small 
cost,  mutton  sheep  would  suffer  much  in  flesh  by  being 
driven  long  distances.  Of  all  this  region,  embracing  more 
than  3,000,000  acres,  less  than  500,000  acres  are  within  easy 
reach  of  railroads  or  navigable  streams. 

Several  experiments  on  a  large  scale  have  been  made  on 
this  Table- land  in  sheep  growing,  but  most  of  them  have 
failed  because  sufficient  attention  was  not  given  to  providing 
provender  for  winter.  And  yet  there  is  no  good  reason  why 
this  should  be  so.  It  is  true  that  corn  will  not,  as  a  general 
thing,  except,  probably,  in  Scott  and  Morgan  counties,  re- 
pay the  cost  of  cultivation,  but  there  are  other  crops  that 


[40] 

will  make  a  satisfactory  yield.  It  has  already  been  men- 
tioned that  one  of  the  best  that  can  be  grown  by  the  sheep 
husbandman  is  the  pea.  Fodder  enough  could  be  readily 
made  from  the  haulm  of  the  pea  to  keep  large  flocks  through 
the  winter.  Turnips  also  grow  well  upon  the  mountain, 
and  in  some  sections  oats  arid  rye  yield  well.  Besides  these, 
corn-fodder  could  be  raised  in  any  desirable  quantities,  and 
sorghum.  The  fatal  impression  with  most  of  those  who 
have  attempted  to  raise  sheep  on  the  mountain  has  been 
that  sheep  could  subsist  through  the  winter  without  feeding. 
Practising  such  a  belief  three  fourths  of  those  who  have 
tried  sheep  raising  on  the  mountain  have  ignominiously 
failed,  and  it  is  retributive  justice  that  they  did.  There 
ought  to  be  no  success  without  watchful  care.  The  raising 
of  sheep  successfully  in  large  flocks  cannot  bean  avoeation; 
it  must  be  a  vocation,  demanding  the  time,  care  and  patient 
attention  required  in  other  pursuits. 

My  own  impression  is  that  the  Merino  sheep,  if  properly 
cared  for,  would  prove  a  profitable  investment  on  these 
mountain  lands.  One  precaution  would  be  necessary,  and 
that  is  to  keep  the  bucks  from  the  ew^s  until  about  the 
middle  of  November,  so  that  the  lambs  would  come  after 
the  rigorous  winter  weather  is  over. 

On  the  rim-lands  surrounding  the  Basin  the  soils  generally 
are  more  fruitful  of  the  domesticated  grasses,  and  in  certain 
localities,  particularly  in  Dickson,  Humphreys,  Lewis, 
Hickman,  and  Lawrence,  the  wild  grasses  grow  quite  as 
well  as  upon  the  Cumberland  Table- land.  The  surface  is 
generally  very  level  (except  where  cut  by  stream  beds), 
where  the  wild  grasses  flourish  most  abundantly,  and  the 
woods  are  open.  Many  parts  of  the  Highlands  are  very 
fertile,  as  is  Warren,  Franklin,  Stewart,  Montgomery, 
Robertson,  Clay,  and  considerable  areas  in  Putnam,  Over- 
ton,  Coffee,  Houston,  and  Lawrence.  Humphreys.  Dickson, 
and  Hickman  have  also  many  fertile  areas.  Sheep  are  very 
healthy  on  these  uplands,  and  require  less  care  in  winter 


[41] 

than  they  do  in  a  mountainous  region.  The  outcrops  of 
limestone  along  the  streams,  forming  high  bluffs,  furnish 
excellent  retreats  from  the  wintry  blasts,  and  in  such  situa- 
tions tufts  of  grass  often  keep  green  throughout  the  winter, 
and  enable  sheep  to  procure  a  ready  subsistence.  This 
highland  district  also  furnishes  some  of  the  best  wheat  lands 
in  the  State.  By  sowing  early,  and  allowing  the  wheat  to 
get  a  good  growth  in  the  fall,  it  is  found  equal  to  sustaining 
a  great  many  sheep  during  the  winter.  Rye  and  barley  are 
often  sown  also  for  winter  pasturage. 

A  practice  that  ought  to  be  more  generally  adopted,  is  to 
sow  herd's- grass,  and  let  it  grow  during  summer,  leaving  it 
uncut.  The  dried  grass  will  protect  from  frost  and  freezes 
the  new  grass  which  springs  up  in  the  warm  days  of  autumn, 
and  this  will  supply  good  winter  grazing  for  sheep.  Unlike 
timothy  or  orchard  grass,  herd's- grass  will  bear  without 
damage  the  close  cropping  of  sheep.  This  grass  is  probably 
for  all  purposes,  grazing  and  mowing,  the  best  that  can  be 
sown  upon  the  thin  lands  of  this  division.  It  is  very  hardy, 
bears  grazing  well,  makes  good,  though  light  hay,  and  will 
survive  the  worst  treatment.  Its  greatest  enemy  is  the 
broom -grass  (Andropogin  scoparius  and  A.  furcatus). 
Orchard  grass  grows  well  also  on  these  highlands,  and  for 
summer  grazing  is  greatly  superior  to  herd's-grass.  Blue 
grass,  except  in  some  favored  localities,  does  not  make  a 
good  or  lasting  sod  on  the  highlands. 

In  many  parts  of  Warren  county  the  Japan  clover  (Les- 
pideza  striata)  has  taken  possession  of  all  uncultivated 
places,  and  has  proved  a  most  formidable  enemy  to  the 
broom-grass,  the  villainous  pest  of  all  meadows.  This 
clover  is  highly  relished  by  sheep,  and  though  short,  it  fur- 
nishes a  good  pasture  from  May  until  frost. 

All  along  the  Tennessee  river,  in  its  western  passage 
through  the  State,  are  wild  lands  now  heavily  clothed  with 
valuable  timber,  that  could  be  made  splendid  sheep  walks. 
These  lands  are  well  drained,  generally  rolling  and  elevated, 


[42] 

and  well  adapted  to  the  growth  of  many  varieties  of  grasses. 
They  are  almost  as  cheap  as  the  mountain  lands,  and  far 
better  in  the  qualities  of  the  soil. 

But  by  far  the  best  locality  in  the  State  for  raising  all 
classes  and  varieties  of  sheep  is  the  great  siluriau,  limestone 
basin  of  Middle  Tennessee.  Here  the  meadows  are 
luxuriant,  the  pastures  are  green,  the  soil  is  fertile,  the 
water  abundant.  Here  are  landscapes  diversified  by  hill 
and  dale,  wood  and  stream,  meadow  and  field,  forming  a 
thousand  delightful  combinations,  and  making  an  extended 
panorama  of  exquisite  rural  elegance  and  beauty.  Here  all 
the  grasses  flourish,  even  the  loftiest  hills  are  set  in  blue 
grass,  and  countless  flocks  fleck  the  landscape  on  every  side. 
The  highest  evidence  that  can  be  adduced  as  to  the  value  of 
this  basin  for  sheep  raising  lies  in  the  fact  that  sheep  are 
grown  upon  nearly  every  farm,  and  up  to  a  certain  number 
are  universally  held  to  be  profitable.  Every  breed  has 
found  admirers,  and  every  breed  does  well.  Sheep  require 
no  feeding  in  this  division  during  winter,  when  upon  good 
grass,  barley,  wheat,  or  rye  fields,  except  when  there  is  a 
fall  of  snow.  Then  some  oats,  fodder,  or  corn  are  fed. 
They  are  very  healthy,  and,  indeed,  when  attended  to,  prove 
a  most  profitable  investment  up  to  a  certain  number,  say 
one  sheep  for  every  five  acres  of  open  land,  or  two  sheep  on 
every  acre  of  permanent  pasture,  presuming  that  the 
farmer  will  have  other  stock  in  proportion  to  the  size  of 
his  farm. 

The  cost  of  keeping  sheep  per  annum  per  head  is  about 
one  dollar  and  twenty- five  cents.  The  wool  of  one  sheep 
of  high  grade  will  pay  for  the  keeping  of  two.  Lambs  are 
clear  profit,  and  the  estimated  cost  of  wool,  dividing  the 
cost  proportionately  between  it  and  lambs,  is  below  ten 
cents  per  pound.  The  average  yield  of  wool  for  improved 
breeds  in  this  basin  is  between  seven  and  eight  pounds — 
natives  from  two  to  four  pounds.  Nearly  all  natives  have 
disappeared  from  this  locality,  and  high  grades  have  taken 


[43] 

their  place.  Mutton  sheep,  near  Nashville,  good  grades, 
bring  in  the  market  five  cents  per  pound,  gross;  lambs, 
grade,  three  and  a  half  to  four  and  a  half  dollars. 

A  large  trade  in  lambs  has  been  built  up  within  a  few 
years  past.  Hundreds  of  car  loads  are  shipped  every  spring 
from  this  basin  to  points  North,  and  good  prices  realized. 
Good  sheep  farms  can  be  bought  in  the  basin  for  ten  to 
forty  dollars  per  acre — the  price  varying  as  to  situation  and 
soil. 

We  come  now  to  consider  the  Plateau  Slope  of  West 
Tennessee  for  the  breeding  of  sheep.  Here  the  lands,  ex- 
cept a  strip  near  the  Tennessee  river,  are  low,  the  surface 
generally  broken  by  gentle  undulations,  except  in  the  river 
basins.  The  counties  bordering  the  Tennessee  river  are  oc- 
casionally rugged,  especially  the  western  parts  of  Hardin, 
Decatur  and  Benton.  The  soil  of  West  Tennessee  being 
largely  intermixed  with  sand,  grasses  do  not  grow  HO  uni- 
versally as  in  the  last  division  spoken  of.  Nevertheless, 
j-ome  grasses  find  here  a  most  congenial  soil.  In  no  part 
of  the  State  does  herdVgrass  grow  so  luxuriantly,  nor  has 
the  soil  any  superior  for  the  production  of  orchard  grass. 
In  that  tier  of  counties  running  next  to  the  Kentucky  line, 
and  parallel  with  it,  also  in  Dyer,  Lauderdale,  and  Tipton 
counties,  where  the  Bluff  Loam  formation  prevails,  clover 
attains  its  highest  development.  Nowhere,  however,  in 
West  Tennessee,  does  blue  grass  make  a  first-rate  sod.  It 
will  grow,  but  not  better  than  upon  the  rim- lauds.  As  a 
division,  however,  West  Tennessee  has  a  larger  proportion 
of  rich  soils  than  either  Middle  or  East  Tennessee. 

Sheep  husbandry  has  never  claimed  the  attention  of  the 
farmers  in  this  division  to  the  extent  its  importance  merits. 
In  many  counties  there  is  not  wool  enough  grown  to  furnish 
stockings  to  the  inhabitants.  For  producing  heavy  mutton 
sheep  there  is  no  part  of  the  State  better  adapted.  The 
numerous  railroads  give  easy  access  to  markets,  and  good 
prices  could  be  realized  for  early  lambs  and  iat  mutton 


[44] 

sheep.  It  is  a  fact  well  known,  that,  owing  to  the  milder 
climate  of  West  Tennessee,  the  lambs  of  January  are  as 
healthful  and  hardy  as  the  February  lambs  in  the  Central 
Basin.  This  is  a  great  advantage,  giving  the  benefit  of 
bare  markets  to  the  West  Tennessee  breeder.  If  more  at- 
tention were  given  to  sheep  raising  in  that  division  and 
less  to  cotton  growing,  great  improvement  would  soon  be 
visible,  not  only  in  the  general  management  and  productive- 
ness of  the  farms,  but  in  the  financial  status  of  the  farmers 
themselves.  There  is  nothing  for  which  there  is  so  con- 
stant a  demand  as  fat  lambs  and  good  mutton.  Wool, 
which  can  be  produced  at  about  the  same  cost  as  cotton,  is 
always  of  ready  sale.  A  diversified  agriculture  is  greatly 
needed  in  West  Tennessee,  and  there  is  no  branch  of  farm- 
ing more  interesting  and  more  remunerative  than  the  breed- 
ing of  sheep.  "With  the  lands  in  West  Tennesese  carrying 
a  fair  number  of  sheep,  there  would  be  in  the  aggregate  an 
immense  addition  to  the  income  of  the  farmers,  and  thrift, 
plenty  and  contentment  would  take  the  place  of  doubt,  fear, 
and  disappointment.  Decatur,  Hardin,  Benton,  McNairy, 
and  Hardeman,  by  reason  of  their  rolling  surfaces,  seem  es- 
pecially suited  for  sheep  raising,  while  many  other  counties 
richer  in  soils,  and,  therefore,  better  suited  for  general  crop- 
ping, are  really  inferior  for  this  branch  of  the  farmer's  call- 
ing. 

Having  passed  rapidly  over  the  State,  and  noted  the  pe- 
culiar ities^of  each  division,  it  will  readily  appear  that  its 
diversified  surface  offers  unsurpassed  advantages  for  grow- 
ing all  the  different  varieties  of  sheep  that  are  profitable  in 
this  latitude.  In  order  to  secure  the  greatest  profits  the 
breeder  should  first  consider  the  variety  best  adapted  to  his 
locality,  and  the  proximity  of  a  market  for  his  mutton.  In 
the  broken,  hilly  region  of  East  Tennessee,  an  active,  hardy 
sheep,  a  good  feeder,  with  a  medium  coat  of  wool,  will  be 
found  most  profitable.  To  build  up  a  breed  of  this  kind, 
presuming  we  start  from  the  native  mountain  scrub,  the 


[45] 

most  desirable  cross  to  make  first  is  the  Merino.  This  will 
give  hardiness  and  longevity.  Add  two  or  more  crosses  of 
Cotswold  or  Leicester,  and  we  get  size  and  fleece.  Many 
farmers  are  apt  to  use  the  Cotswold  or  Leicester  blood  too 
freely  after  noting  the  good  results  of  the  first  cross,  there- 
by increasing  the  weight  of  the  fleece  at  the  expense  of  the 
other  desirable  qualities  of  his  flock.  As  we  approach  the 
lowlands  in  the  valley  of  East  Tennessee,  where  the  grasses 
grow  more  luxuriantly,  the  fleece  should  be  increased  by 
using  more  extensively  long-wooled  bucks.  A  cross  with 
some  of  the  heavier  breeds  of  the  Down  can  also  be  made 
with  good  results — such  as  the  Shropshire,  Hampshire,  and 
Oxfordshire  downs.  In  breeding  these,  however,  it  is  im- 
portant to  look  out  for  a  close  market  for  lambs,  as  it  is  for 
their  weight  as  mutton  that  these  heavy  breeds  are  consid- 
ered most  valuable.  When  mutton  becomes  the  principal 
object  of  the  flock- master,  we  would  give  the  Southdown 
preference  over  all  others.  An  excellent  and  very  profit- 
able mutton- and- wool  sheep  can  be  grown  in  the  level  sec- 
tion above  referred  to,  by  crossing  the  Southdown  upon 
Cotswold  grades,  bred  as  those  first  spoken  of,  viz. :  with  a 
Merino  foundation,  and  crossed  up  with  some  of  the  long- 
wooled  families.  In  fact,  there  are  but  few  of  the  different 
varieties  but  would  be  improved  to  some  extent  by  an  infu- 
sion of  Merino  blood,  especially  when  it  is  the  intention  of 
the  breeder  to  make  sheep  husbandry  a  specialty,  and  raise 
large  flocks.  In  the  middle  portion  of  the  State  all  varie- 
ties can  be  grown  with  great  success,  and  here  the  breeder 
has  only  to  consider  the  principal  object  for  which  he 
wishes  to  build  up  his  flock.  If  for  wool,  the  nearer  he 
approaches  the  thoroughbred  Cotswold  the  heavier  will  be 
the  fleece,  but  if  mutton  is  his  object  the  Southdown  blood 
should  predominate.  On  leaving  the  Central  Basin  of  the 
State,  going  west,  the  long-wool  sheep  should  be  gradually 
discarded,  to  give  place  for  a  variety  better  suited  to  the 
climate  and  the  grazing  facilities  of  the  country.  Here  we 


[46] 

would  again  place  the  valuable  Merino  blood  as  a  founda- 
tion, and  cross  it  up  with  Southdown.  This  will  make  a 
most  profitable  breed  for  the  farmer,  giving  him  a  hardy, 
quick- maturing  mutton  sheep,  with  a  sufficient  fleece  to  pay 
him  handsomely  on  his  investment. 

To  sum  up  the  whole,  in  order  to  get  the  best  breeds  for 
the  different  sections  of  the  State,  we  will  only  select  three 
of  the  principal  varieties  having  in  a  greater  measure  than 
any  others,  the  most  desirable  qualities  sought  after  by  the 
breeder,  viz.:  hardiness,  fleece,  and  mutton.  For  the  first 
we  would  select  the  Merino,  for  the  second  the  Cots  wold, 
the  best  known  and  most  generally  used  of  all  the  long- 
wooled  breeds  in  the  State,  and  for  mutton  the  Southdown. 
For  the  eastern  division  of  the  State  the  Cotswold  and 
Merino  cross,  for  the  middle  division  the  Cotswold  and 
Southdown,  and  for  West  Tennessee  the  Merino  and  South- 
down. 

Farmers,  as  a  rule,  should  not  go  into  sheep  husbandry 
to  the  neglect  of  other  things.  Let  sheep  be  one  of  the 
products  of  the  farm,  not  the  only  product.  A  few  sheep 
well  cared  for  will  prove  profitable  to  every  farmer,  while  a 
large  flock  would  become,  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten,  a  source 
of  annoyance  and  expense.  The  object  of  this  paper  is  to 
show  the  profitableness  of  sheep  raising  on  a  small  scale.  I 
do  not  advise  the  keeping  of  large  flocks  by  the  generality 
of  farmers.  If  every  farmer  should  carry  a  small  flock, 
breeding  up  the  natives  to  high  grades,  the  profits  would  be 
very  much  increased. 

There  is  still  another  question  which  the  Tennessee  farmer 
should  look  to — the  question  whether  to  make  the  growing 
of  wool  the  principal  or  subordinate  object.  This  will  be 
goverened  entirely  by  his  location.  If  he  occupies  the  high- 
priced,  fertile  soils,  that  abound  in  many  parts  of  the  State, 
then  by  all  means  the  production  of  meat  should  be  his 
principal  aim,  and  wool  only  occupy  a  secondary  considera- 
tion. Sheep  that  will  mature  early,  fatten  quickly,  trans- 


OF  THE 
COLLEGE  O 


forming  the  rich,  blue  grass  and  grain  into  luscious  mutton 
in  the  shortest  possible  time,  are  those  which  will  yield  the 
greatest  profit.  Long-lived  animals  in  such  localities  are 
by  no  means  so  important  as  when  wool  is  the  primary  ob- 
ject. The  conditions  are  reversed  upon  the  thin  soils,  and 
in  the  sparsely  populated  portions  of  the  State.  There  wool 
should  be  the  principal  end,  and  mutton  the  incidental,  for 
it  would  be  quite  possible  to  keep  a  flock  of  a  thousand  or 
more  on  a  widely  extended  natural  pasture,  at  less  cost  of 
time,  trouble,  and  money,  than  a  flock  of  one  hundred  on  a 
small,  but  very  fertile  and  highly  improved  farm.  To  mar- 
ket mutton  from  long  distances  entails  loss,  both  in  quality 
and  quantity  ;  but  no  product  of  the  farm,  in  proportion  to 
value,  involves  so  little  expense  in  transportation  as  wool. 
The  flockmasters'  motto  should  be  mutton  for  the  rich  valley 
lands  ;  wool  for  the  mountain  districts  and  thin  table-lands. 


[481 


CHAPTER  IV. 

EWES    AND    LAMBS. 

In  the  establishment  of  a  sheep  farm  the  main  considera- 
tion with  the  farmer  should  be,  not  to  obtain  the  greatest 
number  of  sheep  most  rapidly,  but  to  so  manage  the  flock  as 
to  make  them  the  most  valuable  for  the  purpose  he  has  in 
view,  be  his  object  wool  or  mutton  or  both,  or  for  breeding 
early  lambs  for  market,  and  in  doing  this  the  husbandman 
must  pursue  that  plan  most  likely  to  increase  the  size  of  the 
carcass,  and  to  improve  the  quality  and  quantity  of  wool.  In 
making  the  necessary  calculations,  the  manner  of  selling  must 
must  be  taken  into  consideration.  A  farmer  remote  from  any 
market  for  early  lambs  will  have  to  devote  thought  to  the  wool, 
as  that  is  more  easily  carried  to  market,  but  if  he  is  conve- 
niently located,  his  chief  source  of  profit  will  be  to  produce 
early  and  many  lambs.  This  idea  determines  the  breed  of 
sheep  to  be  kept,  and,  in  starting  the  flock,  this  should  be 
borne  prominently  in  mind.  But  in  either  case  much  and 
continued  care  must  be  bestowed  upon  the  ewes  and  lambs,  as 
without  proper  attention  to  them  the  flock  will,  by  various 
vicissitudes,  become  rapidly  lessened. 

A  ewe  bred  to  a  buck  will  go  five  months,  or  more  accu- 
rately one  hundred  and  fifty- two  days.  With  this  knowl- 
edge the  farmer  can  so  time  the  coming  of  the  lambs  that 
they  will  drop  at  any  time  desirable.  In  Tennessee  the  lambs 
begin  usually  to  come  about  the  1st  of  January.  But  this  is 
a  bad  time  for  them  to  fall,  unless  breeders  are  making  a 
specialty  of  breeding  lambs  for  early  spring  market,  in 
which  event  they  must  have  suitable  arrangements  made  for 
giving  them  extra  care  and  attention.  At  that  time  we  gen- 
erally have  very  inclement  weather,  and  it  necessarily  in- 
volves the  loss  of  many  larnbs.  The  custom  of  allowing  the 


[49] 

ewes  and  bucks  to  run  together  all  the  year  is  universal  in 
this  State,  and  as  long  as  that  custom  is  persisted  in,  there 
is  no  way  -to  prevent  it.  But  if  the  farmer  wishes  to  become 
a  successful  sheep  raiser  he  ought  to  pay  attention  to  all  the 
minute  details  of  the  business.  A  very  necessary  one  is  to 
separate  the  rams  from  the  ewes  at  shearing  time  and  keep 
them  apart  until  it  is  desired  the  ewes  should  be  bred.  A 
flock  of  forty  or  fifty  ewes  requires  only  one  buck  when  he 
is  properly  used.  A  want  of  attention  to  this  item  involves 
a  loss  of  lambs  by  barren  ewes.  Merino  ewes  will  begin  to 
breed  at  two  years  of  age,  but  all  other  breeds  will  go  the 
first  fall,  though  young  ewes  will  not  breed  as  certainly  as 
those  two  or  more  years  old. 

A  young  buck  is  not  a  sure  breeder.  An  aged  ram  is 
much  to  be  preferred.  A  ram  in  his  second  year  may  be 
used  to  serve  only  a  few  ewes  if  he  is  very  vigorous,  for  the 
size  and  strength  of  a  lamb  depends  on  the  size,  strength 
and  age  of  the  sire,  as  well  as  upon  the  condition  of  its  dam. 
A  ram  at  three  or  four  years  old  is  at  his  prime ;  from  this 
age  all  rams  begin  to  get  uncertain  as  breeders.  Especially 
is  this  the  case  when  they  have  been  allowed  to  run  with 
the  flock. 

Fine  blooded  ewes  should  be  kept  away  from  the  ram 
until  the  second  year,  as  earlier  breeding  materially  inter- 
feres with  the  improvement  and  growth  of  their  progeny,  as 
well  as  stunts  the  ewes. 

If  there  is  only  a  small  flock  of  ewes  kept  on  a  place  for 
the  purpose  of  raising  fine  breeds,  it  will  be  found  very  con- 
venient, yes  indispensable,  to  mark  them  in  such  a  way  as  to 
distinguish  them  afterwards.  The  following  is  a  good  way 
to  mark  them : 


*  — 
|    22— 


1878.   | 


The  first  figures  relates  to  the  number  of  the  sheep,  the 
second  relates  to  the  year  dropped.     This  band  is  inserted 
4 


[501 

in  two  holes  cut  in  the  ear,  pushed  by  each  end  and  then 
bent  inwards  so  that  it  will  hold.  The  ear  will  soon  heal 
around  it  like  the  holes  in  a  lady's  ear,  and  it  will  remain 
for  life.  The  mark  should  be  put  in  up  and  down  on  the 
^we  and  across  the  ear  in  a  buck,  so  that  there  will  be  no 
trouble  in  distinguishing  the  sex.  It  will  be  a  most  conven- 
ient thing  also  to  have  a  memorandum  book,  such  as 
suggested  by  Mr.  Stewart  in  his  work,  to  tally  with 
the  ear  marks  kept  in  the  following  manner.  Let  it  be 
ruled  into  columns,  and  entries  made  accordingly,  as  per  ex- 
ample : 


BREED. 

AGE. 

No.of 
ewe. 

No.of 
ram. 

WHEN 

DROPPED. 

WHEN 

SERVED. 

WILL 

LAMB. 

LAMB'D 

RE- 
MARKS. 

Cotswold. 

2  years. 

26 

2 

Feb.1,1877. 

Sept.  1,1879. 

Feb.  1. 

Feb.  2. 

Twins. 

No  one  can  properly  appreciate  the  convenience  of  such  a 
book  as  this  until  it  is  tried.  By  reference  to  it  anything 
can  be  known  that  is  wished  about  the  ewes  and  rams,  and 
an  exhibition  of  this  book  will  convince  the  purchaser  of 
the  accuracy  of  any  statement  made  in  reference  to  each 
sheep  of  the  flock.  Under  the  head  of  "  Remarks,"  any 
fact  in  regard  to  the  ewe  or  ram  can  be  noted,  whether  she 
is  a  good  nurse  or  breeder,  or  whether  the  lambs  are  strong 
or  weak.  This  book  will  also  enable  the  farmer  to  elimi- 
nate from  his  flock  all  such  as  are  not  good  breeders,  or  if 
he  wishes  he  can  set  aside  all  ewes  that  bear  single 
lambs.  It  will  also  enable  him  to  fatten  such  ewes  as  are 
becoming  too  old  for  the  butchers,  thus  keeping  up  his 
flock  to  the  highest  standard  of  excellence. 

The  best  time  for  lambs  to  drop  in  Tennessee  is  from  the 
20th  of  January  to  the  1st  of  March.  About  the  15th  or 
20th  of  January  we  almost  invariably  have  a  good  warm 
spell  of  weather,  which  usually  lasts,  with  but  a  few  days 
of  cold,  until  spring  opens.  If,  however,  the  farmer  is  near 


[51] 

^  market  sufficiently  large  to  make  the  breeding  of  early 
lambs  profitable,  he,  of  course,  will  be  prepared  to  care  for 
them  at  any  time  they  may  come,  even  in  mid-winter,  and 
the  earlier  he  gets  them  the  larger  his  profits  will  be,  if  they 
are  well  fed  and  cared  for,  when  brought  to  the  butcher. 
Many  farmers  in  the  middle  portion  of  the  State  are  making 
a  specialty  of  this  business,  and  are  breeding  their  lambs 
for  December.  The  breeder  always  realizes  a  fancy  price 
for  the  first  "  spring  lambs,"  often  as  high  as  five  dollars 
for  fifty  pound  lambs. 

It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  but  few  farmers  are 
either  suitably  located  or  prepared  to  give  the  attention 
necessary  to  this  particular  branch  of  husbandry,  and  to 
those  who  are  not,  it  would  be  injudicious  to  attempt  it;  but 
with  the  farmer  whose  lambs  begin  to  come  in  the  latter 
part  of  January  and  February,  if  he  will  watch  closely  on 
cold  or  rainy  days  he  can  almost  invariably  save  all  lambs 
that  come  at  this  period.  In  order  to  bring  them  early  the 
rams  must  be  turned  to  the  ewes  about  the  20th  of  August. 
It  is  much  better  that  the  ewes  should  be  served  only  once 
by  the  ram,  as  oftener  will  frequently  result  in  abortion. 

As  mentioned  above,  it  is  both  injudicious  and  expensive 
to  allow  a  ram  to  run  with  the  ewes,  especially  at  this 
season.  A  good  plan,  and  one  that  will  preserve  the  vigor 
of  the  ram,  and  enable  him  to  serve  the  greatest  number 
of  ewes,  is  to  have  him  in  a  lot  to  himself,  and  in  the 
evening,  late,  turn  in  to  him  six  or  eight  or  ten  ewes,  first 
having  painted  his  belly  with  red  paint.  In  the  morning 
every  ewe  he  has  served  will  be  marked  with  red.  The 
entire  batch  should  be  turned  out  from  him  during  the  day, 
thus  allowing  him  to  recuperate  for  another  lot  that  will  be 
turned  in  to  him  in  the  evening.  In  this  way  he  will  rarely 
ever  serve  the  same  ewe  twice,  and  the  breeder,  by  noting 
in  his  book,  as  mentioned  above,  the  date  of  service,  will 
know  exactly  what  time  to  expect  the  lamb,  and  can  give 
those  particular  ewes  extra  attention  at  that  time.  After 


[52] 

the  entire  flock  has  been  bred  in  this  way,  the  ram  should 
be  allowed  to  run  with  the  ewes  for  a  few  days,  so  that  if 
any  ewes  should  come  in  again  he  will  serve  them.  Be 
careful  to  put  on  the  entries  the  time  of  the  serving  of  each 
ewe. 

Peace  and  quietness  should  reign  in  the  pastures  at  this 
time,  as  much  worry,  with  handling  unnecessarily,  would 
prevent  conception.  The  ewes  should  not  be  kept  very  fat 
while  enciente,  as  they  will  not  produce  as  large  and  good 
lambs  when  too  fat.  They  should  also  be  studiously  pro- 
tected from  long  continued  chilling  blasts.  As  a  general 
rule  our  pastures  have  a  good  deal  of  undergrowth,  and 
this  will  prove  sufficient,  especially  if  they  are  among  shrub 
cedars,  which  is  very  common  in  Middle  Tennessee.  A  very 
good  plan  to  bring  ewes  into  season,  should  they  be  slow  to 
come  so,  is  to  give  them  a  dose  or  two  of  Epsom  salts,  and 
shorten  their  feed  for  a  few  days.  While  it  is  wrong  to 
make  the  ewes  too  fat,  it  is  equally  culpable  to  keep  them 
too  poor,  as  they  cannot,  in  bad  condition,  produce  a  good, 
strong,  healthy  lamb.  Their  feed  should  be  increased  by 
degrees  just  before  lambing  time  comes,  as  the  draft  of 
nursing  will  require  richer  food.  At  least  a  pint  daily  of 
grain  should  be  given  each  ewe  until  the  pasture  becomes 
sufficient  to  keep  them  in  thriving  order.  Turnips,  and,  in 
fact,  roots  of  all  sorts,  should  be  avoided  about  lambing  time, 
as  they  are  said  to  produce  abortion.  Pea  vines,  especially 
the  haulm  of  the  peanut,  are  good  food  for  ewes.  It  is  al- 
most a  necessity  for  ewes  to  have  laxative  food  before  and 
after  lambing ;  nothing  is  better,  in  addition  to  their  grain, 
than  a  bite  of  green  food,  such  as  rye,  winter  oats,  or  wheat, 
two  or  three  times  a  week  before  lambing,  it  has  a  tendency, 
to  keep  them  thrifty,  and  in  good  condition,  and  it  adds 
greatly  to  their  flow  of  milk  afterwards.  We  have  known 
four- fifths  of  a  crop  of  lambs  to  die  from  ewes  that  had  be- 
come feverish  and  unhealthy  from  being  grain- fed  exclu- 
sively before  lambing.  If  the  record  is  kept  the  farmer 


[53] 

will  know  about  the  time  of  the  expected  lamb,  and  just 
before  the  time  arrives  the  ewe  should  be  separated  from  the 
•others,  'ind  kept  under  shelter,  especially  at  night,  or  in 
inclement  weather.  Many  lambs  have  been  lost  by  a  want 
of  attention  to  this  easy  precaution.  The  barn  should  be 
close,  and  if  light  can  be  excluded  all  the  better.  A  clear 
dead  wall  all  around  the  room  will  prevent  the  lamb  from 
becoming  hung  or  caught  under  troughs  or  racks.  By  this 
means  the  lambs  will  scarcely  ever  be  disowned,  as  is  often 
the  case  when  they  are  mixed  with  the  flock.  A  teaspoon- 
ful  of  oil  will  greatly  hasten  the  emptying  of  the  lamb's 
bowels,  which  are  full  of  a  sticky,  glutinous  mass,  and  it 
often  accumulates  in  the  wool  around  the  vent,  stopping  it 
up.  It  is  well  enough  to  smear  a  little  castor  oil  around 
the  anus  to  prevent  it.  Sometimes  the  lamb  is  affected  with 
scours.  A  little  peppermint  water  and  prepared  chalk  will 
correct  it,  though  it  may  be  necessary  to  administer  it 
several  times.  Clip  away  any  locks  of  wool  from  around 
the  teats  that  may  have  been  left  from  the  tagging  when 
sheared. 

Sometimes,  with  all  the  precautions  that  can  be  used, 
the  ewe  will  disown  her  lamb.  There  is  no  other  re- 
course then  but  to  use  the  "  lamber."  This  is  nothing  more 
than  a  hurdle  to  confine  her  so  she  cannot  turn  around  and 
butt  the  lamb.  It  will  have  several  rails  around  it,  and 
should  she  kick,  a  stick  passed  under  her  belly,  slightly 
raising  her  up,  will  so  fasten  her  that  she  cannot  move. 
She  is  to  be  put  in  this  lamber  every  time  the  lamb  wants 
to  suck,  and  will  soon  become  accustomed  to  it. 

A  lamb  left  by  the  death  of  its  dam,  or  a  twin  lamb  that 
is  too  weak  to  suck,  may  easily  be  raised  by  hand.  By 
taking  the  skin  from  a  dead  lamb,  and  rubbing  it  over  one 
of  the  twins,  the  bereaved  mother  will  often  adopt  it.  Ewe's 
milk  is  best,  but  it  being  difficult  to  procure,  resort  is 
generally  had  to  cow's  milk,  which,  with  the  addition  of  a 
small  lump  of  sugar,  closely  resembles  ewe's  milk  in  taste 


[54] 

and  effect.  A  tin  can,  provided  with  a  spout,  or  a  coal  oil 
can  that  has  not  been  used,  with  a  rubber  nipple  on  the  end, 
will  be  all  that  is  necessary,  and  the  lamb  will  soon  know 
its  feeder,  running  to  him,  butting  around  his  legs, 
begging  for  its  food.  At  first  not  more  than  a  gill  of  milk 
should  be  given,  and  it  should  be  warmed  up  to  about 
natural  heat,  or  one  hundred  degrees.  After  a  few  days,, 
when  the  lambs  begin  to  grow  and  play  around,  it  can  be 
given  ad  libitum. 

While  a  ewe  is  suckling  her  lamb  her  food  should  be  of 
the  most  generous  character.  Good  clover  or  blue  grass 
pastures  should  be  supplemented  with  bran,  oats,  corn,  or 
meal,  and,  in  fact,  if  good  lambs  are  expected,  and  early 
ones,  the  dam  must  be  extremely  well  fed,  as  the  food  of  the 
lamb  must  be  derived  from  the  mother,  and  if  she  has  not 
the  food  she  cannot  be  a  free  milker.  Roots  mixed  with, 
bran,  oats,  oil-cake  meal,  or  grain  will  aid  materially  in  the 
flow  of  milk.  Pea  straw  is  a  favorite  food  for  ewes,  and  it 
has  more  nourishment  in  it  than  any  other  kind  of  hay,  as 
will  be  seen  by  a  reference  to  the  analysis.  As  soon  as  the 
lamb  is  large  enough  to  notice  other  food  besides  its  dam's 
milk,  it  should  be  tempted  to  eat  a  little  wheat  bran 
sprinkled  in  a  trough,  such  as  is  mentioned  in  a  previous, 
chapter ;  or,  some  bright  sweet  clover  hay  will  be  apt  to  get 
a  nibble.  After  it  once  begins  to  feed  this  way  you  can 
make  it  weigh  heavier  and  grow  more  rapidly  than  it  would, 
on  its  dam's  milk  alone.  A  lamb  that  is  pushed  heavily  by 
an  abundance  of  food  for  the  first  three  months  will  show 
itself  by  producing  large  vigorous  sheep,  while,  on  the  con- 
trary, if  it  is  stinted  of  food  for  that  time  it  becomes 
dwarfed,  and  will  never  make  a  good  healthy  sheep.  All 
animals  whose  maturity  is  hastened  will  be  stronger,, 
thriftier,  and  longer  lived  than  one  that  has  been  half 
starved  in  its  growth.  Besides,  they  make  far  better 
breeders.  Should  the  pasture  be  bordered  by  a  corn  field 
it  is  a  good  plan,  and  one  that  is  followed  by  many  good 


[55] 


farmers,  to  make  a  hole  under  the  fence  large  enough  to 
admit  the  lamb,  and  yet  withhold  the  sheep,  into  the  corn 
field,  provided  the  corn  is  tall  enough  to  prevent  the  lambs 
from  nibbling  off  the  bud.  They  will  eat  the  young  tender 
shoots  or  suckers,  and  the  bottom  blades  of  fodder,  that 
burn  up  and  are  lost  anyway,  and  will  not  injure  the  corn. 
In  this  way  they  will  be  materially  assisted  in  their  growth 
and  maturity.  Should  there  not  be  a  field  or  pasture  to  aid 
the  lambs,  a  pen  should  be  provided  adjoining  the  "  run  " 
of  the  ewes,  with  an  arrangement  to  admit  the  lambs,  in 
which  troughs  are  provided,  kept  filled  with  bran,  meal,  and 
anything  calculated  to  aid  in  pushing  the  lamb. 

It  sometimes  happens  that  a  ewe  loses  her  lamb,  and  in 
that  case,  to  prevent  "  garget,"  or  inflammation  of  the  udder, 
the  ewe  should  be  milked  a  few  times,  never  taking  all  the 
milk,  and  increasing  the  intervals  of  milking.  In  a  few 
days  the  udder  will  become  soft,  and  then  the  danger  ceases. 
A  few  doses  (twenty  grains  to  the  dose)  of  saltpetre  will 
materially  aid,  by  exciting  the  action  of  the  kidneys.  Cold 
water  washing  is  good,  too,  for  the  udder  when  soreness  pre- 
vails. 

It  is  a  mistaken  notion  on  the  part  of  many  farmers  that 
the  best  plan  to  improve  the  flock  in  all  cases  is  to  bring 
every  year  or  two  a  new  ram  into  the  fold.  In-and-in  breed- 
ing has  been  established  beyond  controversy  to  be  a  neces- 
sary system  of  perpetuating  a  breed  or  species,  provided, 
always,  that  a  full-blooded  buck  of  any  kind  is  first  started 
with.  The  celebrated  stocks  of  Spain  have  attained  their 
great  superiority  by  this  plan,  and  the  sheep  farmers  of 
England  have  established,  by  the  same  system,  the  long 
wooled  sheep  of  the  Cotswold  and  Leicester  breeds,  as  well 
as  the  mutton  sheep  of  Southdown  and  Shropshire.  It  is 
of  equal  importance,  however,  that  incestious  breeding 
should  be  avoided ;  nothing  has  a  greater  tendency  to  weaken 
the  constitution  of  a  flock  than  too  close  in-breeding.  It  is 
an  error  that  farm  -rs  are  apt  to  fall  into,  especially  if  they 


[56] 

have  an  extra  good  ram,  and  they  find  it  difficult  and  ex- 
pensive to  duplicate  him.  A  skillful  breeder  will  always, 
in  selecting  a  breeding  ram,  be  governed  in  his  choice  by 
the  defects  of  the  ewes  he  intends  breeding  him  on  ;  for  in- 
stance, if  his  ewes  are  leggy  and  light  bodied  he  will  choose 
a  short  legged,  heavy  bodied  ram  to  use  upon  them.  A 
continual  change  of  rams  will  get  up  a  mixture  of  various 
degrees  of  excellence,  but  there  is  no  reliance  on  the  perpe- 
tuity of  the  stock,  the  lambs  often  taking  after  some  inferior 
progenitor  that  is  near  of  kin.  But  by  carefully  noting  all 
the  different  points  of  excellence  originating  in  a  flock,  and 
preserving  only  those  that  possess  in  an  eminent  degree  the 
proper  points  to  be  gained,  the  breeder  will  soon  have  the 
satisfaction  of  seeing  a  uniformity  of  stock  not  to  be  gained 
by  any  other  method.  Therefore,  do  not  go  out  for  the 
cross,  but  pick  within  all  the  time.  To  do  this  the  best 
lambs,  both  ewes  and  rams,  must  be  preserved  for  breeding 
purposes.  And  the  selection  must  be  made  and  adhered  to, 
with  reference  to  the  purpose  in  view.  Should  it  be  the  in- 
tention of  the  breeder  to  improve  the  wool,  then  select  en- 
tirely with  reference  to  the  wool,  keeping  in  view,  of  course, 
that  strength,  ^ize,  rapidity  of  growth,  tendency  to  fatten 
(whether  the  flock  is  kept  for  wool  or  mutton),  must  be 
always  a  pre- requisite.  Then  the  length,  quality,  and  fine- 
ness of  wool  must  be  the  chief  aim,  in  the  parents  as  well 
as  in  the  lambs. 

Should,  however,  the  breeder  wish  to  raise  early  lambs 
for  market,  then  those  ewes  that  produce  single  lambs  of 
large  size  and  quick  growth  should  be  selected.  In  carry- 
ing out  this  idea  it  should  also  be  kept  in  mind  that  the 
ewes  which  will  give  large  quantities  of  milk,  and  eat 
heavily,  will  best  fulfill  this  object. 

If  the  production  of  wool  is  the  object,  ewes  that  produce 
twins,  and  are  gentle,  good  nurses,  are  the  most  suitable. 
In  either  case  the  record  book  is  indispensable,  as  it  will 
be  utterly  impossible  to  make  a  proper  choice  of  ewes  with- 


[57] 

out  it,  as  the  memory  will  not  do  to  trust.  Good  ewes  for 
breeding  purposes  are  only  second  in  importance  to  a  good 
ram;  the  latter  gives  quality  to  the  entire  flock,  and  the 
former  only  to  her  own  offspring.  "  Good  sticklers  make 
good  lambs  "  is  only  true  in  part,  but  with  animals  as  pro- 
lific as  sheep  there  is  no  reason  why  a  farmer  should  not 
have  all  of  his  breeding  ewes  good  individually  as  well  as 
good  sucklers.  A  ewe  should  have  a  large  body,  broad  hips, 
a  good  feeder,  and  of  gentle  disposition.  Never  preserve, 
as  stock  sheep,  poor  or  weakly  lambs,  or  ewes  that  do  not 
suckle  well,  or  those  that  have  weak  constitutions,  or  ewes 
that  are  restless,  wandering  bleating  over  the  pasture. 
Such  animals  should  annually  be  eliminated  from  the  flock, 
fattened,  and  sent  to  the  shumbles.  While  the  ewe  influences 
only  the  lamb  she  produces,  the  ram  influences  more  or  less 
the  whole  flock ;  it  is,  therefore,  doubly  important  to  exer- 
cise the  utmost  care  and  judgment  in  making  suitable  selec- 
tions of  bucks;  indeed,  it  is  a  matter  of  prime  importance. 
The  character  of  the  sheep,  the  number  and  quality  of  the 
lambs,  depend  to  a  great  extent  upon  this  choice.  In 
making  this  selection  the  shape  of  the  animal  and  the 
character  of  his  wool  should  be  taken  into  consideration 
more  than  his  size  or  weight.  It  is  not  always  that  the 
large  heavy  fat  rams  are  the  best.  They  do  well  enough  for 
the  fairs,  and  exhibitions  of  stock,  but  not  for  the  harern. 
We  may  here  state  that  good  thrifty-growing  condition  is 
much  more  preferable  for  both  ewes  and  rams  than  to  have 
them  fat.  Owing  to  the  heat  and  flies,  as  well  as  short  pastur- 
age, sheep  generally  fall  off  in  July  and  August,  and  when 
mated  in  September  are  generally  in  good  breeding  condi- 
tion. A  ram,  with  all  the  work  he  can  do,  will  re- 
quire and  should  have  rich  stimulative  food,  in  ad- 
dition to  his  pasturage ;  but  the  ewes  should  only 
have  good  pasturage  until  a  few  weeks  before  lamb- 
ing, when  bran  and  oats  should  be  given  them.  Should 
mutton  sheep  be  the  desideratum,  select  one  with  rather 


[58] 

short  small  boned  legs,  round  barrel,  small  head,  full  arms 
and  thighs,  close  wool  on  the  back,  with  fat  on  the  ribs, 
where  it  is  never  found  on  a  poor  sheep,  and,  in  fact,  a 
general  good  appearance,  rather  than  for  any  one  special 
point  of  excellence.  A  well  knit,  smooth  framed  ram  will 
possess  more  vitality  than  a  large,  long,  loose  one,  and  the 
effect  will  be  very  marked  in  the  number  and  superiority 
of  the  lambs.  In  like  manner  the  ewes  should  be  selected 
that  are  very  broad  across  the  hips,  as  in  that  case  the  pelvis 
being  roomy,  the  Iambs  will  be  more  easily  brought  forth, 
without  so  often  losing  both  lamb  and  dam.  A  disregard 
of  this  simple  precaution  often  entails  great  loss  on  the 
farmer  by  difficult  parturition  and  still-born  lambs. 

It  is  asserted  by  many  writers  that  lambs  bred  from 
young  bucks  or  young  ewes  are  more  often  male  than 
female.  How  true  this  is,  if  true  at  all,  is  not  known  to 
the  writer,  but  it  is  a  wise  provision  of  nature  to  restrict 
the  propagation  of  the  species  where  the  animal  does  not 
possess  the  vigor  to  make  a  perfect  progeny,  thus  limiting, 
for  the  want  of  females,  the  supply  of  the  breed.  Large 
bones  should  always  be  avoided  in  sheep,  as,  indeed,  they 
should  in  all  animals,  as  the  nutriment  that  would  otherwise 
go  to  the  formation  of  bone  would  tend  to  increase  the  size 
of  the  carcass,  thus  adding,  with  the  same  feed,  to  the  quan- 
tity of  flesh  and  wool.  The  selection  of  rams,  however, 
cannot  be  taught  by  books,  but  must  be  left  almost 
entirely  to  the  tact  and  discretion  of  the  breeder.  As  be- 
fore stated,  they  should  not  be  used  upon  more  than  twenty 
or  twenty-five  ewes  until  they  are  at  least  two  years  old,  if 
possible  to  prevent  it.  High  condition  in  the  ram  is  not 
desirable,  a  mere  fair  condition  promising  better  in  getting 
lambs  than  one  too  fat. 

No  man  must  expect  to  accomplish  in  one  year  what  it 
requires  many  years  for  others  to  accomplish  in  the  perfec- 
tion of  a  flock  of  sheep.  It  took  the  most  careful  attention 
of  the  most  intelligent  breeders  to  bring  the  four  to  six- 


[59] 

pound-fleece  wooled  sheep  up  to  the  twelve  and  fourteen 
pound  fleeces,  that  are  so  greatly  admired  at  the  present- 
day.  There  must  be,  therefore,  an  unwearied  patience  and 
indomitable  energy  and  watchfulness  to  bring  about  any 
desired  form  or  quality.  Let  the  breeder  first  determine 
the  nature  and  character  of  the  flocks  to  be  produced.  He 
will  then  have  to  watch  the  desired  form  and  fleece  as  seen 
in  his  flock,  and  then  by  separating,  and  breeding  only  those 
possessed  of  those  qualities  to  rams  selected,  as  mentioned, 
whose  best  points  are  where  the  ewes  are  most  defective. 
The  breeder  will,  in  the  course  of  a  few  years,  have  the 
satisfaction  of  seeing  a  flock  of  an  established  character,  and 
able,  by  long  breeding,  to  perpetuate  and  transmit  those 
peculiarities  to  their  progeny.  Above  all  other  qualities, 
be  sure  of  the  constitution  and  health  of  the  sheep,  as  no 
arnonnt  of  carcass  or  fleece  will  compensate  for  a  sickly  or 
tender  frame.  These  difficulties  may  dampen  the  ardor  of 
those  men  who  expect  in  two  or  three  years  to  enjoy  the 
glory  of  establishing  a  breed,  but  this  continued  attention 
has  been  given  to  the  Southdown  and  Cotswold  in  the 
United  States  for  at  least  a  half  century,  and  was,  for  a 
greatly  longer  time,  bestowed  on  the  celebrated  Spanish 
Merino  in  Europe.  It  is  positively  the  only  method  of 
success. 

MIXED    BREEDS. 

It  often  happens  that  for  a  certain  reason  the  farmer 
wishes  to  cross  his  flock  with  other  breeds.  This  is,  under 
some  circumstances,  very  advantageous,  especially  when  he 
wishes,  from  a  large  wool  sheep,  to  produce  early  lambs  or 
mutton  sheep.  Almost  every  breeder  of  sheep  has  his  own 
fancies  in  regard  to  the  change  sought.  The  first  considera- 
tion is,  which  will  be  the  most  profitable,  wool  or  mutton. 
This  generally  can  be  determined  by  the  proximity  of  the 
markets.  This  once  decided,  the  rest  must  be  left  to  the 
experience  and  tact  of  the  breeder.  Should  the  farmer 
wish,  without  too  much  expense,  to  create  a  fine  grade  of 


[60] 

sheep  from  the  common  stock,  he  has  only  to  procure  a  lot 
of  ewes  combining  as  many  of  the  pre- requisites  as  possible, 
according  to  the  rules  laid  down  in  previous  chapters. 
Should  it  be  desirable  to  raise  lambs  for  market,  it  then  be- 
comes necessary  to  select  from  the  fine  blooded  varieties 
such  a  buck  as  will  bring  about  the  desired  end.  It  is 
usual  to  select  a  Southdown  or  Merino,  and  persons  having 
tried  it  claim  for  each  some  peculiar  reasons  for  preferring 
one  or  the  other,  which  is  a  conclusive  argument  that  either 
or  both  are  good  for  the  purpose. 

By  watching  and  talking  with  breeders  one  can  get  the 
result  of  their  experience  on  the  subject.  The  Southdown 
lamb  will  attain  its  growth  quicker,  and  is  larger  than  the 
Merino  cross,  and  the  black-face  lambs  are  always  a  favorite 
with  butchers,  and  in  culling  a  lot  of  lambs  they  are  in- 
variable first  taken.  Yet  the  Merino  has  many  advantages. 
Though  smaller  it  is  remarkable  for  vigorous  health  and  for 
tenderness  and  juiciness  of  its  meat,  and  when  once  tried 
will  find  many  to  advocate  its  claims.  When  once  the 
breeder  starts  he  must  continue  in  the  same  direction,  that 
is,  he  must  continue  with  rams  of  the  same  breed,  changing 
them  for  others  as  often  as  every  other  year,  at  least,  and 
always  selecting  the  best  animal  that  can  be  procured.  He 
can  often  do  this  without  expense  by  making  the  change 
with  a  neighbor  pursuing  the  same  plan,  thus  equally  bene- 
fiting both.  Each  year  he  can  and  should  dispose  of  all 
the  ram  lambs,  and  keep  the  ewes.  Upon  this  point  the 
breeder  must  keep  a  watchful  eye.  There  is  as  great  differ- 
ence in  the  value  of  ewes  as  there  is  of  rams.  None  but 
the  very  pick  of  the  lambkins  should  ever  be  allowed  to 
breed,  and  then,  if  they  prove  poor,  or  are  indifferent 
milkers,  they  should  be  fattened  with  the  pen  of  old  ewes 
that  accumulates  every  season,  and  sent  to  the  butcher.  If 
he  has  ewe  lambs  enough  to  satisfy  his  wishes  for  breeders, 
he  can,  after  the  first  year,  sell  off  all  the  original  native 
ewes,  and  thus  his  flock  will  consist  of  half-blood  grade 


[61] 

Southdowns,  or  whatever  cross  he  adopts.  Each  year  of 
crossing  will  bring  him  nearer  to  the  full  stock,  and  when 
the  flock  has  been  crossed  five  times,  they  are  in  all  respects 
full  blooded,  with  this  advantage,  that  the  frequent  crosses 
with  fresh  rams  will  have  infused  more  life  and  vitality  than 
was  possessed  by  either  before  the  process  began.  Nor  should 
it  end  with  the  fifth,  but  continued  ad  infinitum,  to  prevent 
a  retrograde  of  th?  flock,  as  there  will  continue  to  be  a 
tendency  to  a  relapse  now  and  then  for  many  yeara.  It 
should  be  the  duty  and  care  of  the  farmer  to  watch  closely 
any  tendency  to  relapse,  and  the  lambs  exhibiting  it  should 
be  promptly  removed  and  consecrated  to  the  shambles. 

Should  it  be  the  desire  of  the  farmer,  on  the  contrary,  to 
convert  a  flock  of  native  ewes  into  long  wooled  sheep,  the 
Cotswold  and  Leicester,  independent  of  others,  present 
as  many  advantages  as  he  may  require.  The  same  rule  as 
for  producing  a  carcass  must  be  observed,  only  the  eye,  in- 
stead of  being  directed  to  the  frame  alone,  must  keep  in 
view  the  character,  length,  and  texture  of  the  wool.  Of 
course  he  must  also  bear  in  mind  that  the  better  carcass  the 
wool  is  on  the  better  will  be  the  fleece,  so  he  must  combine 
all  these  qualities  in  the  ram.  A  very  sightly  broad-backed 
flock  of  ewes  will  soon  satisfy  his  vision.  The  last  named 
of  the  above  species,  the  Shropshires,  are  little  known  in 
this  country,  being  of  comparatively  recent  origin  even  in 
England.  But  in  the  short  time  they  have  been  before  the 
country,  they  have  attained  a  vast  amount  of  popularity, 
chiefly  on  account  of  the  prolific  quality  of  the  ewes.  For 
the  sake  of  those  unacquainted  with  the  breed  we  are  in- 
duced to  clip  the  following  description  of  them  from  the 
"  London  Field,"  a  high  authority  on  all  subjects  connected 
with  stock  raising : 

SHROPSHIRE   SHEEP. 

"  The  Shropshire  sheep,  though  of  comparatively  recent 
origin,  are  at  the  present  widely  spread  and  much  valued. 


[62] 

We  know  of  no  breed  so  prolific.  The  increase  in  all  cases 
is  to  a  certain  extent,  and  often  materially,  influenced  by 
the  nature  of  the  land — nourishing,  or  yielding,  or  inferior 
food.  On  an  average,  if  the  ewes  ar^  well  cared  for  before 
and  during  the  time  the  ram  is  with  them,  at  least  fifty  per 
cent,  of  doublets  may  be  looked  for;  and  when  Shropshire 
rams  are  put  with  long- wool  ewes,  the  increase  is  much 
greater.  On  a  small  farm,  we  purchase,  every  autumn,  forty 
Banffshire  ewes — a  description  of  border  Leicester,  with  a 
slight  Cheviot  cross — and  serve  them  with  a  Shropshire 
ram.  In  1872  thirty-six  ewes  produced  seventy-eight  lambs, 
all  sold  fat.  This  season  the  forty  ewes  produced  eighty- 
two  lambs,  but  owing  to  unfavorable  causes  we  lost  ten 
lambs,  or  such  portion  of  the  same  as  have  not  been 
already  treated  with  mint  sauce.  This  prolific  tendency  is 
a  point  of  great  importance,  for  it  is  not  with  the  Shrop- 
shires  as  it  is  with  some  of  the  larger  breeds,  that  a  fine 
single  lamb  is  more  esteemed  than  a  double.  The  ewes  are 
good  mothers,  and  can  do  justice  to  their  offspring;  more- 
over, it  is  always  profitable  to  assist  nature  by  nutritious 
diet.  Next,  the  Shropshire  is  a  hardy  sheep,  suitable  for  a 
large  range  of  soils,  and  capable  of  close  folding,  without 
sensible  loss  of  size.  The  yield  both  of  mutton  and  wool 
is  far  greater  than  from  the  Southdown,  or  other  short  wool. 
Hampshires  may  arrive  at  greater  weight,  but  they  require 
more  time.  The  proportion  of  bone  and  offal  is  greater 
and  the  wool  much  less." 

We  have  no  personal  acquaintance  with  these  breeds  of 
sheep,  but  those  having  a  knowledge  of  them  commend 
them  very  highly.  The  character  here  given  would  com- 
mend them  rather  as  mutton  sheep  than  as  sheep  for  early 
lambs.  It  is  no  uncommon  thing  to  see  a  ewe  with  three 
lambs,  and  the  late  Hays  Blackman,  Esq.,  of  Davidson 
county,  had  a  ewe  that  raised  four  good  lambs  without  any 
feeding  except  that  obtained  from  her  udder. 


j.63] 


IN-AND-IN    BREEDING. 

This  subject  has  given  rise  to  more  discussion  than  prob- 
ably any  other  question  connected  with  sheep  raising. 
Many  object  to  it  from  religious  or  moral  considerations. 
Others  contend  that  this  method  tends  to  weaken  the  con- 
stitution and  debilitate  the  sheep,  and  the  general  appear- 
ance of  the  Leicesters  originated  by  Mr.  Bakewell,  of  Eng- 
land, by  in-and-in  breeding  tends  to  confirm  this  objection. 
The  small  head,  prominent,  glassy  eye,  small  bones,  we  say 
attenuated,  their  delicate  skin,  and  general  tendency  to 
scrofulous  diseases,  would  seem  to  be  the  result  of  too  close 
and  too  long  continued  in-breeding.  Still,  close  breeding  is 
absolutely  requisite  to  originate  a  species.  This  evil  effect 
could  be  avoided  to  a  great  extent  by  adopting  the  rule  to 
breed  from  the  same  ram  only  for  the  second  generation, 
and  by  selecting  another  for  the  grandchildren  with  as 
nearly  as  possible  the  same  form  and  general  character.  It 
is  said  to  have  less  deleterious  effects  to  breed  a  ram  to  his 
own  get  than  to  breed  brother  and  sister  together.  The 
breeder  could  adopt  a  safer  course,  and  one  to  attain  the 
same  ultimate  result,  by  putting  together  animals  of  the 
same  family,  but  less  closely  alied,  as  father  or  brother.  I 
am  strongly  of  the  opinion  that  the  same  degeneration 
would  take  place  in  animals  of  a  lower  order,  as  is  known 
to  be  the  case  with  the  higher  animal,  man.  The  result  of 
in-and-in  breeding  in  man  is  known  to  result  in  the  highest 
type  of  personal  beauty,  but  it  is  at  the  expense  of  the  con- 
stitution and  mental  faculties.  Besides,  inter-marriages  of 
families,  long  continued,  often  result  in  physical  deformities, 
and  this  fact  being  so  universally  admitted  in  man,  must 
bear  some  relative  proportion  in  brutes.  To  breed  properly 
have  one  well  defined  object,  and  keep  that  object  always 
before  the  mind.  To  do  this  well  it  is  absolutely 
necessary  to  know  every  ram  and  ewe  in  the  flock,  and  their 


[64] 

general  characters.  To  do  this  look  to  the  record  book 
already  recommended,  without  which  nothing  can  be  re- 
membered. Keep  it  aBso  in  mind  that  the  ram  must  have 
absolutely  pure  blood,  as  his  character  affects  the  whole 
flock,  and  the  slightest  taint  in  him  aifects  the  whole  flock. 
It  is  of  the  greatest  importance  that  the  ram  should  be 
thoroughbred,  it  matters  not  whether  the  breeder's  object 
be  wool  or  mutton.  So  strong  is  the  tendency  of  the  sheep 
to  "  breed  back,"  or  return  to  the  native  scrub,  that  even 
though  a  ram  be  three- fourths  or  four- fifths  thoroughbred, 
at  least  two-thirds  of  his  progeny  will  resemble  scrubs  more 
than  thoroughbreds.  It  will,  in  the  end,  cost  less  to  buy  a 
good  ram  from  a  trustworthy  breeder  than  attempt  to  raise 
the  rams  at  home,  as  the  admixture  of  new  blood  invigorates 
the  breed.  Bear  it  in  mind,  also,  that  there  is  a  constant 
tendency  to  a  retrocession  to  the  original  native  breed,  and 
it  is  therefore  necessary  to  guard  against  this  and  cull  out 
the  offending  animal.  Without  good  feeding  it  is  useless  to 
attempt  a  fine  display  of  sheep,  as  a  few  generations  of  half 
starved  sheep  will  quickly  end  where  it  began.  Want 
of  food  makes  bad  sheep,  as  without  it  the  full  development 
of  the  animal  cannot  take  p'ace,  and  the  want  is  soon  per- 
petuated in  a  diminutive  size  and  inferior  fleece.  It  is,  in 
other  words,  easier  to  go  down  hill  than  to  rise  an  ascent. 
Though  the  sheep,  to  all  intents  and  practical  purposes,  are 
considered  full  blooded  after  five  crosses,  which  brings  them 
to  thirty- one- thirty-twos,  yet  they  are  not,  and  according  to 
the  rule  of  arithmetical  progression,  never  can  be,  and  the 
lambs  of  some  of  those  crosses  will  show  the  ancestry. 
Therefore,  in  breeding  for  thoroughbreds,  the  start  must 
be  pure.  It  may  be  proper  here  to  state  that  a  lamb, 
according  to  a  legal  decision,  ceases  to  be  a  lamb  when 
the  first  two  permanent  teeth  appear,  which  is  at  one  year 
old. 


[651 


WEANING    LAMBS. 

The  time  usually  allotted  for  the-  lamb  to  suckle  is  four 
months.  The  first  thing  is  to  separate  the  lambs  and  ewes, 
as  far  as  possible,  from  each  other,  so  that  they  will  not  hear 
each  other's  bleating.  The  lambs  should  be  put  on  better 
pasture  than  they  have  been  accustomed  to,  but  it  must  not 
be  too  luxuriant.  They  should  previously  have  been  trained 
to  eat  plenty  of  salt,  which  is  a  good  preventive  of  a  great 
many  diseases.  A  contrary  course  must  be  pursued  with 
the  ewes  in  reference  to  their  pasture  for  a  week  or  more 
after  weaning.  It  can  scarcely  be  too  poor,  otherwise  it  is 
frequently  followed  by  great  distension  of  their  udders,  and 
inflammation  or  garget.  If  this  should  be  likely  to  occur 
they  should  be  milked  for  a  day  or  two,  and  fed  with  hay, 
or  other  dry  food.  After  a  week  or  more  they  should  be 
placed  on  such  pasture  as  will  hasten  their  return  in  the 
shortest  time  to  good  condition. 

Several  eminent  sheep  raisers  separate  the  ewes  and  lambs 
for  the  day,  only  turning  them  together  at  night,  thus  allow- 
ing the  ewes  to  relieve  their  distended  udders.  By  pursuing 
this  course  for  a  week  or  ten  days  the  lambs  will  become 
accustomed  to  doing  without  the  dam,  and  they  are  finally 
weaned  without  any  ill  effects  to  the  ewe.  Should,  however, 
the  udder  of  a  ewe  become  inflamed,  and  danger  of  garget 
or  abscess  supervene,  the  ewe  should  have  immediately  a 
full  dose  of  Epsom  salts,  say  a  heaping  tablespoonful,  with  a 
teaspoon ful  of  pulverized  ginger,  the  two  mixed  in  water. 
For  the  next  two  days  give  them,  morning  and  evening, 
twenty  grains  of  saltpetre.  This  will  so  increase  the  action 
of  the  kidneys,  and  cause  a  consequent  determination  of 
blood  to  those  organs,  that  the  udder  is  thereby  relieved. 
Hay  should  be  fed  to  them,  also,  instead  of  pasturage,  thus 
giving  them  a  quicker  drying  up. 

5 


[66] 


PROFITS   OF   EARLY    LAMBS. 

In  close  connection  with  stall  feeding  of  sheep  comes  the 
furnishing    of    early    lambs    of    the    best    quality    for    the 
butcher.     It  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  and  profitable 
branches   of    sheep    husbandry    in    localities    accessible  to 
market.     When  carried  on  as  a  special  business  the  produc- 
tion of  butchers7  lambs  usually  involves  the  annual  selec- 
tion of  ewes  for  that  purpose,  which  requires  no  little  judg- 
ment in  securing  good  nurses,  possessed  of  vigorous  consti- 
tutions,   wide-hipped,    broad,  short- legged,  early-maturing 
animals,  the  best  that  can  be  culled  from  the  common  flocks 
of  the  country.     If  the  ram  commences  running  with  them 
in  September,  they  will  begin  to  drop  their  lambs  early  in 
February,  and  continue   into  March.     They  should   have 
good    pasture.     If  short  cropping  attends   the    coming   of 
winter,  the  careful  farmer  will  eke  out  the  scanty  herbage 
with  corn,  oats,  or  their  equivalent,  that  they  may  enter 
upon  dry  feeding  and  the  cold  season  in  good   condition. 
Then  they  are  fed  with  hay  and  a  little  grain  or  oats.     The 
winter  feed,  however,  it  is  needless  to  add,  can  be  varied 
greatly,   and  a  reasonable  variety  is  found  conducive  to 
health.     As  they  approach  the  lambing  season  the  heaviest 
should  be  separated  from  the  flock,  and  fed  as  before,  being 
careful  to  give  some  roots,  but  not  so  many  as  to  increase 
very  much  the  secretion  of  milk.     Breeding  sheep  should 
not  be  too  fat,  they  certainly  should  not  be  poor,  but  the 
"  golden  mean  "  is  much  nearer  the  former  than  the  latter 
extreme.     This  may  account  for  the  different  practice  and 
counsels  of  sheep  breeders,  some  affirming  that   the  ewes 
should  be  kept  on  good  hay  till  near  the  lambing  time,  and 
then  allowed  more  stimulating  food;   others  preferring  to 
give  hay,  with  a  little  grain,  all  the  time,  deprecating  any 
increase.     Near  a  railroad  is  the  best  location  for  breeding 
early  lambs  for  market.     Lambs  cannot  be  driven,  without 


[67] 

serious  loss,  a  greater  distance  than  ten  miles.  The  shorter 
the  distance  the  greater  the  profits.  Very  early  lambs  at 
sixty  pounds  weight  are  sold  by  our  breeders  at  from  three 
to  five  dollars  each.  From  one  station  in  Sumner  county 
lambs  to  the  value  of  forty  thousand  dollars  were  sold  in 
1878.  And  this  business  is  constantly  increasing,  because 
Tennessee  is  the  last  State  going  South  where  prime  mutton 
sheep  can  be  raised,  and  their  lambs  come,  therefore,  into 
an  earlier  and  a  bare  market. 


[68] 


CHAPTER  V. 

SHEEP   FARMS — SITUATION    FOR — GENERAL   MANAGEMENT 
OF   SHEEP — FOOD,    MANURE,    ETC. 

Many  things  are  to  be  considered  to  become  a  successful 
sheep  husbandman.  In  the  first  place,  he  must  determine 
to  succeed,  and  with  this  principle  thoroughly  settled  in  his 
mind,  half  the  battle  is  already  won.  He  must  possess  tact 
and  perseverance  to  overcome  all  obstacles,  and  not  be 
drawn  off  to  follow  some  other  business  because  it  promises 
a  quicker  return  for  his  labor. 

Then,  being  settled  on  this  question,  the  next  is  to  select 
a  suitable  farm  for  the  business.  Flat  or  wet  lands  are  not 
suited  for  sheep  walks,  for,  of  all  domestic  animals,  sheep 
are  most  injured  by  having  their  feet  constantly  wet,  which 
induces  foot- rot,  a  disease  terrible  in  its  ravages  upon  the 
flocks  which  it  attacks.  In  any  part  of  the  State  where  the 
lands  are  rolling  and  the  water-courses  descend  with  rapid- 
ity, ensuring  quick  drainage,  there  is  no  difficulty  about 
selecting  a  suitable  situation.  The  swelling  mountains  of 
East  Tennessee,  whose  tops  are  often  bathed  in  clouds,  and 
whose  sides  and  crests  are  clothed  in  summer  with  a  rich 
verdure,  offer  a  fine  field  for  this  branch  of  husbandry. 
The  writer  has  often  seen  magnificent  flocks  fleck  the  slopes 
of  these  mountains  in  summer,  while  the  nestling  coves  at 
the  foot  give  shelter  and  food  during  the  prevalence  of 
wintry  blasts.  So,  also,  the  valley  or  trough  of  East  Ten- 
nessee, on  account  of  its  natural  drainage,  has  always  proved 
exceedingly  healthy  for  sheep.  The  Cumberland  Table- 
land, with  its  dry  sandstone  soils,  is  famed  for  the  health- 
fulness  of  its  flocks.  And  coming  further  westward,  we 
find  a  section  of  country  whose  wavy  undulations  of  sur- 


[69] 

face  and  swiftly-running  streams  make  it  the  shepherd's 
home.  In  the  Central  Basin  of  the  State,  and  on  the  Rim 
surrounding  it,  more  sheep  are  grown  per  acre  of  open 
lands  than  in  any  other  portion  of  the  State.  A  very  large 
proportion  of  West  Tennessee  also  has  proved  to  be  healthy 
for  sheep,  especially  away  from  the  marshy  bottoms  of  the 
creeks  and  rivers. 

Taking  the  State  throughout,  it  may  well  be  doubted 
whether  an  equal  area  can  be  found  anywhere  on  the  conti- 
nent that  presents  so  many  charms  for  the  flockmaster,  and 
this,  not  only  because  of  the  ever- changing  surface,  but  be- 
cause of  the  abundance,  variety  and  nutritiousness  of  the 
native  forage  plants. 

Limestone  and  sandstone  soils  have  in  every  country 
proved  advantageous  for  sheep- raising.  These,  for  obvious 
reasons,  should  be  dry  and  porous.  Soils  of  this  character, 
too,  will  produce  the  finer  and  more  nutritious  grasses.  All 
the  famous  breeds  of  the  world  are  bred  on  such  soils.  The 
Leicester  and  Shropshires  come  from  the  red  sandstone  hills 
of  those  shires  in  England;  the  Lincolns  are  raised  upon 
alluvial  soils  based  upon  limestone,  while  the  Cotswold  for 
centuries  had  its  home  on  the  Cotswold  limestone  hills;  the 
Southdown  and  Oxforddown  are  native  to  the  chalky  downs 
of  the  south  of  England  ;  while  the  only  finely  bred  sheep 
of  America,  the  American  Merino,  thrives  best  on  the  lime- 
stone hills  of  Vermont  among  the  marble  quarries. 

Our  alluvial  soils  will  make  splendid  sheep  farms,  pro- 
vided they  are  properly  drained.  In  fact,  the  "bottoms" 
are  not  of  necessity  marshy  or  boggy,  many  of  them  having 
such  a  large  proportion  of  sand  that  they  keep 'dry.  A 
good  plan  to  determine  this  question,  is  to  dig  a  hole  in  the 
ground  about  a  foot  deep,  and  if  water  stands  in  it  an  hour 
after  a  hard  rain  has  ceased,  it  is  a  good  indication  that  the 
land  needs  draining,  and  any  land  that  requires  draining  is 
wot  good  for  a  sheep  farm. 

One  other  matter  should  be  looked  to  if  it  is  intended  to 


[70] 

confine  the  sheep  to  pastures,  and  that  is  good  fences. 
Sheep  are  naturally  inclined  to  jump,  and  an  invitation,  by 
bad  fences,  will  surely  be  accepted.  Straying  sheep  will 
soon  be  lost  sheep,  as,  when  once  out,  there  is  no  limit  to 
their  travels,  and  many  a  flock  has  been  totally  lost  for 
want  of  attention  to  this  particular.  Therefore,  have  good 
fences  around  the  pastures  intended  for  sheep,  so  they  will 
never  acquire  the  habit  of  jumping.  With  good  fences, 
many  good  bargains  may  be  had  with  the  less  provident 
farmers,  who,  annoyed  by  their  continual  straying,  will 
often  be  induced  to  part  with  their  sheep  at  a  great  loss. 

A  fold  should  be  provided  that  is  dog-proof.  The  coun- 
try is  often  m  an  uproar  from  the  depredations  of  one  or 
two  miserable  curs  in  a  single  night.  The  farmer  goes  to 
bed  proud  of  being  possessed  of  a  fine  nucleus  of  a  flock. 
He  has  carefully  selected  choice  breeds,  and  spent  many 
anxious  hours  protecting  and  caring  for  them  through  the 
winter  months,  and  it  is  his  delight  to  exhibit  them  to  his 
aeighbors.  But  some  morning  the  unwelcome  word  comes 
to  him,  "the  dogs  have  been  among  the  sheep."  Every 
one  who  has  experienced  it  knows  of  the  volumes  of  rage 
that  swell  his  bosom.  But  it  is  all  for  naught.  The  mis- 
chief is  done  and  the  robber  gone.  Not  a  trace  is  left,  ex- 
cept the  dead  carcasses  of  many  sheep  lying  around,  and 
the  frightened,  stunned  look  of  the  more  fortunate  ones  that 
have  escaped — escaped  the  dogs  it  may  be,  but  they  have 
suffered  so  much  by  fear  they  do  not  recover  for  months. 
They  run  at  the  approach  of  any  one,  th^y  are  restless,  and 
the  constant  snort  of  some  watcher  startles  them  from  their 
food,  and,  as  a  consequence,  they  lose  flesh  and  become  a 
shadow  of  what  they  were  before.  Sheep  are  very  peculiar 
in  this  respect,  and  nothing  disturbs  their  equanimity  more 
than  the  inroads  of  dogs.  All  this  can  be  prevented  by  the 
simple  precaution  of  a  fold.  It  is  easily  made,  and  will 
last  indefinitely. 

Select  a  suitable  spot  near  the  dwelling  as  may  be.     Let 


[71] 

it  slope  so  that  it  will  not  become  muddy  or  sloppy.  Let 
it  be  in  size  to  suit  the  number  of  sheep  intended  to  pro- 
tect. An  acre  of  ground  will  suffice  amply  for  from  one  to 
five  hundred  sheep.  Let  it  be  enclosed  by  any  means  that 
will  exclude  a  dog.  One  used  for  years  *by  the  writer  was 
made  of  pickets,  cut  eight  feet  long  and  put  two  feet  in  the 
ground,  well  packing  and  stripping  it  on  the  inside.  It  is 
not  necessary  to  sharpen  the  ends,  as,  if  closely  put  together, 
it  will  never  be  passed  by  dogs.  Have  an  entrance  by  a  door, 
so  that  when  shut  the  fold  is  closed.  If  pickets  are  not 
convenient,  a  plank  fence  will  answer  equally  well,  only  it 
will  require  more  constant  care  to  keep  it  in  repair.  About 
1,700  pickets  are  required  to  make  a  fold,  worth,  when  of 
cedar,  $3  per  hundred.  It  will  cost  seven  cents  a  yard  to 
dig  the  trench  and  put  them  up.  The  strips,  four  inches 
wide  and  one  inch  thick,  will  cost  $1.50  per  hundred  feet, 
and  the  nails  will  cost  about  two  dollars  more.  So  a  good 
substantial  fold  made  of  cedar,  which  will  last,  with  slight 
repairs,  at  least  twenty-five  years,  will  cost  say  $75,  which 
is  a  very  small  sum  to  pay  for  security  and  peaceful  nights. 
If  one  wishes  to  economise,  he  can  either  enclose  his  barn 
with  such  a  fence,  or  some  other  of  his  outbuildings  that 
require  an  enclosure,  and  thus  save  a  double  expense.  Thus, 
while  his  neighbors  are  continually  annoyed  by  dogs  and 
sustaining  heavy  losses  with  destroyed  or  harrassed  sheep,, 
he  can  turn  the  key  on  his  flock  and  quietly  go  to  bed,  sat- 
isfied his  flock  will  be  safely  in  the  fold  the  next  morning. 

The  fold  should  be  also  sheltered  on  the  inner  side,  to 
allow  the  sheep  to  feed  during  the  long  nights  and  be  pro- 
tected from  the  rain,  as  well  as  have  good  dry  hay  to  go  to. 
The  shelter  should  be  not  more  than  four  feet  high,  and  the 
length  of  two  boards  will  be  sufficient.  Next  the  fence 
racks  can  be  constructed  in  the  following  manner:  A  round 
pole  from  the  wood-  or  a  heavy  scantling  is  laid  against  the 
bottom  of  the  pickets,  and  secured  there  by  stubs  driven  in 
the  ground.  Then  bore  one  and  a  half  inch  holes  in  an 


[72] 

oblique  direction,  so  that  slats  or  rounds  driven  in  the  holes 
will  have  a  slant  of  about  forty- five  degrees  from  the  fence. 
Then  fit  on  the  other  ends  of  the  rounds  a  companion  scant- 
ling, about  four  feet  from  the  ground  pole.  This  scantling 
will  then  serve  as  a  support  for  the  roof,  letting  one  board 
extend  from  the  scantling  to  the  fence  and  another  out- 
wards, with  the  outer  ends  resting  on  a  plate  two  inches 
square,  which  is  itself  supported  by  stakes,  at  intervals  of 
six  or  seven  feet,  firmly  driven  into  the  ground.  At  inter- 
vals of  eight  or  ten  feet  have  some  two  or  three  boards 
nailed  together,  but  movable,  so  they  can  be  raised  to  put 
the  hay  in  the  rack.  Then  nail  two  planks,  seven  or  eight 
inches  wide,  together  by  the  edges  so  as  to  form  a  "V-shaped 
trough,  supporting  or  bracing  it  by  nailing  strips  across  at 
intervals  of  twelve  inches,  which  will  serve  not  only  as  a 
brace,  but  also  prevent  the  sheep  from  throwing  their  food 
out.  Nail  this  trough  firmly  to  the  ground  pole  of  the 
rack,  and  there  is  a  barn  far  bettor  than  the  most  expensive 
covering  ever  built  by  the  amateur  farmer.  It  protects 
them  from  rain  and  snow,  and  keeps  their  food  dry  and 
prevents  it  from  becoming  worthless  from  tramping  and 
defiling.  Should  the  flock  become  so  large  that  all  cannot 
eat  at  the  same  time,  supplementary  racks  and  shelters  could 
be  erected  by  building  a  fence  or  plank  wall  four  feet  high, 
and  sheltering  and  racking  both  sides  as  their  necessities 
may  require. 

Nor  does  the  advantage  of  a  fold  stop  with  the  security 
of  the  sheep.  It  is  said  the  foot  of  a  sheep  is  golden. 
During  the  (by  he  distributes  his  rich  manure  over  the 
pastures  in  an  admirable  manner,  carrying  it  where  most 
Deeded  on  the  slopes  and  thin  soils  of  the  higher  lands. 
By  proper  attention  to  raking  and  saving  and  sheltering, 
here  can  be  gathered  and  garnered  a  rich  store  of  plant 
food.  And  it  is  truly  astonishing  what  a  large  amount 
of  valuable  manure  can  be  collected  in  a  short  time. 
The  litter,  such  as  straw  or  leaves,  that  has  been,  or 


[73  I 

should  be,  spread  under  all  the  sheds,  will  become  saturated 
with  the  urine,  and  this,  thrown  on  the  general  heap,  gene- 
rates an  immense  amount  of  ammonia,  which,  lodging  in 
the  mass  of  decaying  vegetable  matter,  makes  a  manure 
unexcelled  by  any. 

Sheep  that  have  been  kept  up  and  fed  during  the  winter, 
when  turned  on  grass  in  the  spring  are  very  apt  to  scour, 
thefceces  catching  in  the  wool  around  the  vent  and  on  the 
thighs,  forming  tags.  These  tags  sometimes  become  enor- 
mous, and  serve,  not  only  to  impede  the  motions  of  the  an- 
imal, but  also  to  make  a  secure  lodgment  for  insects,  espe- 
cially for  maggots.  These  tags  are  a  great  annoyance  to 
the  lambs  also.  Sometimes  drainage  from  the  filth,  held  by 
them,  trickles  down  on  the  teats,  mingling  with  the  milk. 
Sometimes  they  prevent  the  lamb  from  sucking  altogether. 
Whether  wet  or  dry,  the  wool  can  never  be  washed  from  it, 
and  sooner  or  latei  it  must  be  cut  from  the  sheep.  Tagging 
before  turning  out  to  grass  prevents  all  this  expense,  waste 
and  risk.  So  tagging  should  be  practiced  at  once,  cutting 
away  all  the  wool  around  the  vent  and  on  each  side  of  the 
thigh,  so  the  dung  will  fall  clear  to  the  ground  without 
touching  any  wool.  It  should  also  be  cut  from  around  the 
udder  of  the  ewe,  and  from  the  scrotum  of  the  buck.  In 
doing  this  of  course  care  should  be  taken  to  be  gentle  with 
the  sheep  and  not  injure  the  skin.  Should  a  scar  be  made 
on  the  skin,  cover  it  with  a  mixture  of  tar  and  grease,  s>s 
this  is  a  season  of  flies,  and  a  nest  of  maggots  would  soon 
be  made  on  any  wound. 

No  one  thing  contributes  to  the  health  of  sheep  more 
than  salting.  It  prevents  injury  from  the  great  change 
from  dry  to  green  food,  and  will  prevent  the  mass  of  herb- 
age from  fermenting  in  the  stomach.  The  salt  is  better 
when  mixed  with  epsom  salts,  copperas  and  sulphur; 
and  the  best  plan  of  using  it  is  to  place  a  supply  in 
covered  boxes,  protecting  it  from  rain  yet  admitting  it  to 
the  constant  access  of  sheep,  replenishing  the  boxes  as  often 


[74] 

as  required.  This  combination  will  prevent  injury  from 
eating  too  much,  as,  if  salt  is  too  largely  licked  at  first  it  is 
apt  to  produce  scours. 

Another  precaution  that  is  absolutely  necessary  should 
take  effect  at  this  time,  and  that  is  MARKING.  The  old 
barbarous  custom  of  mutilating  the  ears  of  sheep  has  given 
place  to  other  plans.  Cutting  the  ear  destroys  the  beauty 
of  the  sheep  besides  injuring  their  facility  to  hear,  the  ear 
being  shaped  precisely  right  to  convey  sounds  to  the  drum. 
Some  use  tags  of  tin,  sold  by  all  agricultural  stores,  that 
have,  marked  upon  them,  the  age  and  number  of  the  ^heep. 
This  tag  is  placed  in  the  lobe  of  the  ear  as  a  ear- bob.  Bath 
ends  may  pierce  the  ear,  and  then  by  bending  and  twisting 
it  is  permanently  fastened.  Others  use  paint.  A  conven- 
ient method  is  to  mix  lampblack  or  any  other  color  with 
linseed  oil,  and,  with  a  brush,  make  any  shaped  marks 
proper  or  desired,  either  the  initials  of  the  owner  or  a  cross. 
Bucks  should  be  marked  on  the  rump,  wethers  on  the  right 
shoulder,  and  ewes  on  the  left.  Another  plan  is  to  use  Ve- 
netian red,  a  very  cheap  paint,  and  one  pound  will  mark  a 
thousand  sheep.  Take  between  the  thumb  and  first  two 
fingers  a  pinch  of  the  dry  powder,  then,  drawing  the  en- 
closing fingers  through  the  wool,  letting  the  powder  slip, 
any  desirable  mark  may  be  made.  The  powder  will  unite 
with  the  grease  of  the  wool,  making  a  bright  red  mark, 
which  no  amount  of  rain  will  efface,  yet  without  any  injury 
to  the  wool,  as  it  can  be  easily  taken  out  by  the  manufac- 
turer, which  is  not  so  easily  done  with  lampblack  and  lin- 
seed oil.  However,  this  operation  should  always  take  place 
immediately  after  shearing,  except  as  to  lambs;  on  the  lat- 
ter after  docking.  This  process — docking — should  take 
place  when  the  lamb  is  a  week  or  ten  days  old,  or  older  if 
it  is  very  weak.  Some  cut  off  the  tail  with  a  knife,  while 
others  use  a  chisel.  The  latter  is  much  the  best  plan.  Let 
an  attendant  hold  it  upright,  rather  leaning  buck,  with  its 
rump  resting  on  a  block ;  then,  with  the  finger  and  thumb, 


[75] 

let  the  skin  of  the  tail  he  drawn  up  towards  the  root,  and 
placing  a  chisel  on  the  tail  about  an  inch  from  the  rump, 
strike  it  a  smart  blow  with  a  mallet  and  sever  it  at  one 
blow.  Have  at  hand  a  pot  of  tar,  turpentine  and  lard,  and 
smear  the  stump  with  it  and  turn  it  off.  There  will  be 
little  or  no  bleeding,  especially  if  the  operation  is  performed 
about  night,  so  the  lamb  will  be  quiet  soon  after  the  dock- 
ing. Castration  should  be  performed  about  the  same  time. 
The  longer  this  is  delayed  the  more  liable  the  lamb  is  to 
die.  I  have  known  every  lamb  to  die  from  this  operation 
being  delayed  until  shearing  time.  This  is  a  delicate  ope- 
ration and  must  be  carefully  performed.  A  cool  day  should 
be  selected,  and  gentle  hands  to  assist.  Take  the  lamb  with 
a  fore  and  hind  leg  in  each  hand,  and  hold  in  an  upright 
position  with  the  back  against  the  body ;  draw  the  hind 
legs  up  and  apart,  and  press  the  lamb's  body  sufficiently 
hard  to  cause  its  belly  to  protrude  between  the  thighs,  ex- 
posing the  scrotum  to  full  view;  then,  with  a  sharp  knife, 
cut  about  two-thirds  of  the  scrotum  off,  and  take  each  tes- 
ticle in  turn  between  the  thumb  and  forefinger,  and,  after 
sliding  down  the  loose  enveloping  membrane  to  the  sper- 
matic cord,  pull  out,  not  jerk,  the  testicle  with  a  moderately 
quick  but  not  violently  jerking  motion.  The  connecting 
tissues  easily  break,  with  but  little  bleeding.  If  any  of  the 
nerve  should  remain  exposed,  pull  out  and  cut  it  off,  as  it 
must  not  be  left.  After  cutting,  place  a  quantity  of  the  tar 
and  grease  in  the  scrotum  and  all  over  it,  to  keep  off  flies, 
and  it  will  quickly  heal.  This  operation  should  also  be 
performed  just  at  nightfall,  to  ensure  quiet  until  it  begins 
to  inflame.  Formerly  castration  was  practiced  far  more 
than  at  present,  and  we  think  it  better  for  the  farmer  to  sell 
the  buck  lambs  instead  of  converting  them  into  wethers,  as 
with  the  most  careful  operation  many  lambs  will  die. 

Many  persons  suppose  a  pasture  will  suit  sheep  let  it  be 
composed  of  whatever  herbage  it  may.  It  is  true  sheep 
will  devour  more  sorts  of  herbage  than  any  other  species  of 


[76] 

animals,  yet  it  is  equally  true  that  there  are  more  scraggy, 
rough  sheep  in  the  country  than  fine,  fat  ones.  This  is  due 
to  the  difference  in  pasturage.  Sheep,  themselves,  know  all 
about  this,  and  going  into  a  sheep  lot,  it  will  be  seen  that 
the  turf  is  eaten  closely  in  spots — some  places  do  not  seem 
to  have  been  touched,  while  others  are  cropped  perfectly 
bare;  nor  will  the  spots  that  are  left  ever  be  grazed  by 
them  unless  driven  by  absolute  hunger.  The  whole  animal 
is  composed  of  the  precise  elements  of  the  soil,  and  in  order 
to  advance  the  growth  and  health  most  rapidly,  it  must  be 
seen  that  the  products  of  the  soil  contain  those  elements 
essential  to  it.  Clean,  dry  wool  contains  about  17  per  cent 
of  nitrogen  and  5  per  cent  of  sulphur  in  100  parts;  there- 
fore, when  the  pasturage  abounds  in  these  principles  and  is 
abundant,  the  wool  has  a  clear,  glossy  appearance  and  a 
considerable  amount  of  a  greasy,  adhesive  substance  called 
yolk.  This  yolk  serves  to  keep  the  wool  in  a  lively,  healthy 
condition;  in  fact,  its  presence  in  quantity  is  an  indication 
that  the  sheep  are  in  a  healthy,  thriving  condition,  as  its 
absence  is  attended  with  a  harsh,  dry  feeling  to  the  touch, 
and  the  fleece  is  of  an  inferior  quality.  Potash  enters 
largely  into  the  composition  of  yolk,  therefore  food  to 
nourish  them  properly  must  contain  a  proper  quantity  of 
potash  and  sulphur,  besides  nitrogenous  compounds.  From 
the  following  composition  of  the  blood  and  flesh  of  a  sheep 
it  will  be  seen  what  a  large  amount  of  mineral  substances 
are  required  in  its  food,  viz. : 

BLOOD.  FLESH. 

Phosphate  of  soda *...  16.77          45.10 

Chloride  of  sodium  (or  salt) 59.34  \         .,.  QA 

Chloride  of  potassium 6  12  / 

Sulphate  of  soda 3.85  trace. 

Phosphate  of  magnesia 4.19  ~| 

Oxide  and  phosphate  of  iron 8.28  V         6.84 

Sulphate  of  limte : 1.45  J 

100.00          97.88 

The  bones  are  composed   principally  of  phosphate  and 
carbonate  of  lime. 


[77] 

The   following  is  an   analysis  of  the  excrements  of  the 
sheep : 

ASH  OF  DUNG.  ASH  OF  URINE. 

Silica 50.11         Sulphate  potash 2.98 

Potash .'8.32         Sulphate  soda 7.72 

Soda 3.28        Chloride  of  sodium 32.01 

Chloride  of  sodium 14         Chloride  of  potassium  12.00 

Phosphate  iron 3.98        Carbonate  of  lime 82 

Lime  18.15         Carbonate  of  soda 42.2£ 

Magnesia 5.45         Magnesia  46 

Phosphoric  acid 752  Phosphate  of  iron,  lime  and 

Sulphuric  acid 2.69  magnesia 70 

Silica  ...                                       1.06 


99.64 


100.00 

These  analyses  show  conclusively  that  the  manure  pos- 
sesses an  intrinsic  value  far  greater  than  is  generally  sup- 
posed. It  is  naturally  rich,  and  sheep  chew  so  finely  that, 
unlike  other  animals,  they  never  sow  the  seed  of  weeds,  the 
finest  being  thoroughly  masticated.  Of  course  the  value  of 
the  manure  is  to  some  extent  modified  by  the  character  of 
their  food,  as  it  is  much  richer  when  fed,  for  fattening  pur- 
poses, on  oil  cake  or  corn.  The  following  table  will  show 
its  value  as  compared  with  other  manures : 

Water.     Phosphoric  Acid.    Potash.  Nitrogen.  Ammonia. 

Pig  dung 840  Ibs.  8.0  Ibs.  5.0  Ibs.  7.0  Ibs.          8.5  Ibs. 

Horse 743  "  12.2   «  28.0   "  5.4  "             6.5   " 

Cow 864  "  5.2  "  10.7  "  3.5  "             4.2  " 

Chicken 850   "  15.2   "  5.5   "  21.5   "  26.1   " 

Sheep 670   "  22.7   "  7.0   "  7.1   "             8.5  " 

Human 750   "  3.3   "  1.0   "  15.0   "  18.2   " 

The  fertilizing  effects  of  sheep  manure  is  better  under- 
stood by  the  English  farmer,  who  keeps  sheep  as  much  for 
the  manure  as  for  profit  in  other  respects.  This  will  be 
practiced  in  time  by  our  farmers,  but  little  attention  to  or 
appreciation  of  its  use  is  now  seen.  An  English  farmer 
will  sow  a  field  of  turnips,  and  by  means  of  hurdles  confine 
sheep  to  a  particular  lot  until  the  turnips  are  all  devoured,, 
by  which  time  the  ground  will  be  black  with  their  drop- 


[78] 

pings,  which,  plowed  under  at  once,  gives  a  surprising  fer- 
tility to  the  soil. 

With  the  exception,  perhaps,  of  goats,  sheep  will  eat  a 
greater  variety  of  herbage  than  anj  other  animal.  Not 
only  the  grasses,  but  many  weeds  noxious  to  the  farm, 
tender  twig^  and  mosses  are  eagerly  devoured  by  them. 
Lambsquarter,  iron- weed,  wild  mustard,  tongue- grass,  and 
many  other  weeds  contribute  materially  to  their  health.  Of 
grasses  that  supply  the  necessary  nutriment  for  sheep,  as 
tested  by  the  lights  of  experience,  are  those  of  low,  creep- 
ing habits,  with  fine,  short  stalks,  such  as  Blue- grass  (Poa 
pratensis),  Timothy  (Phleum  pratense),  Sheep's- fescue  (Fes- 
tuea  ovina),  Spear- grass  (Poa  annua),  False  Redtop  (Poa 
serotina),  E-edtop  or  Herd's- grass  (Agrostis  vulgaris),  Or- 
chard-grass (Dactylis  glomerata),  Meadow  Foxtail  (Alopecu- 
rus  pratensis),  White  Clover  (Trifolium  repens),  Red  Clover 
(Trifolium  pratense),  Narrow-leaved  Plantain  (Plantago 
lanceolata) ,  and  many  others.  Few  of  our  meadows  that 
are  artificially  made  are  without  one  or  more  of  these 
grasses,  while  in  the  woods  the  Nimble- will  (Muhlenbergia 
diffusa),  Crab  or  Crop-grass  (Panicum  sanguinale),  and 
numerous  others  afford  succulent,  healthy  food.  Besides 
these,  there  are  aromatic  herbs  or  weeds,  that  possess,  it  is- 
true,  but  little  nutritive  value,  but  from  their  stimulating 
properties  they  induce  a  good  appetite,  and,  besides,  a  fre- 
quent change  of  diet  is  of  the  greatest  utility  in  keeping  up 
the  health  of  the  animal.  Some  experienced  sheep-raisers 
sow  mustard  on  open  places  in  the  pastures,  which  is  a  most 
toothsome  morsel  for  sheep,  and  if  allowed  once  to  go  to 
seed  will  perpetuate  itself  on  the  ground.  Parsley,  worm- 
wood and  yarrow  or  sneezewort  are  also  greedily  eaten  by 
sheep,  and  are  very  advantageous  to  them.  Parsley  acts 
upon  the  liver  and  kidneys  very  freely,  and  should  be  given 
them  when  affected  with  the  "  rot."  It  is  a  biennial  plant, 
and  will,  when  once  sown,  perpetuate  itself  by  sowing  its 
own  seed.  We  have  no  means  of  knowing  the  nutrient 


[79] 

value  of  the  barren  grasses,  but  we  do  know  that  sheep 
thrive  on  them  finely,  and  come  down  into  the  farms  in  the 
beginning  of  winter  thoroughly  fat.  The  "Beggar's- lice" 
(Cynoglossum  Morrisonii)  that  grows  in  unparalleled  luxu- 
riance all  over  the  barrens  and  mountain  lands  of  our  State 
will  keep  sheep  in  fine  order  after  the  ripening  of  its  seeds, 
but  from  the  peculiar  nature  of  those  seeds  they  will  ruin 
the  fleece,  no  machinery  being  sufficient  to  take  them  out 
clean  when  once  matted  in  the  wool.  The  sheep  themselves 
will  eat  many  of  them  off  each  other's  backs,  but  cannot 
get  them  out  clean. 

The  value  of  the  natural  pastures  can  never  be  overesti- 
mated, and  it  only  requires  a  sufficient  number  of  attend- 
ants to  sustain,  until  far  in  the  cold  weather,  any  number  of 
sheep.  A  man  with  a  couple  of  well  trained  dogs  will 
easily  attend  one  thousand  sheep.  The  time  will  come,  and 
at  no  distant  day,  when  the  whole  range  of  our  mountains 
will  be  flecked  over  with  innumerable  herds  of  sheep  and 
cattle,  thus  turning  all  this  great  waste  into  substantial 
wealth.  The  only  drawback  to  sheep- raising  on  the  Cum- 
berland Mountains,  so  far  as  the  writer  knows,  is  the  pres- 
ence of  the  calycanthus,  the  seeds  of  which,  when  eaten  by 
sheep,  are  fatal.  Fortunately  these  shrubs  are  confined  to 
a  few  localities. 

A  great  and  fatal  error  into  which  many  sheep  masters 
fall,  is  overstocking.  Not  only  are  the  sheep  deprived  of 
a  sufficiency  of  food,  but  their  stomachs  become  filled  with 
sancjand  gravel  by  .close  nipping.  This  induces  a  thriftless 
condition,  which  ultimately  ends  in  disease  and  death.  They 
will  also  soon  wear  out  their  teeth,  so  that  at  four  years  old 
they  no  longer  have  teeth  able  to  masticate  their  food. 

Understocking  is  almost  equally  objectionable,  as  the 
grass  will  become  hard  and  woody  and  lose  its  nutrient 
character.  A  just  medium  is  hard  to  establish,  but  expe- 
rience is  the  best  teacher,  and  a  farmer  will  soon  be  able  to 
put  on  it  just  what  stock  as  will  keep  it  young  and  tender 


[80] 

/ 

and  yet  have  an  ample  supply  to  fatten  on.  It  is  better  to 
supplement  with  corn,  oats,  pea  vines,  turnips,  or  hay,  than 
otherwise,  if  needed. 

Sometimes  it  is  better  to  divide  the  flock,  keeping  the 
ewes  and  lambs  on  the  best  and  terulerest  grass,  and  the 
wethers  arid  bucks  on  the  worst.  Of  course  these  remarks 
only  apply  to  sheep  confined  within  the  limits  of  a  farm. 
On  a  range  it  is  only  necessary  to  move  the  flock  to  a  fresh 
spot  when  one  becomes  exhausted. 

A  flock  must  be  closely  watched  to  see  that  the  pasture 
does  not  become  exhausted.  When  the  nourishment  be- 
comes insufficient  the  secretion  that  goes  to  form  wool  be- 
comes arrested  to  a  great  degree,  and  there  occurs  a  "break" 
in  the  fullness  and  strength  of  the  fibre.  This  is  not  appa- 
rent to  the  owner,  but  the  manufacturer  discovers  it  at  once, 
and  the  price  is  lessened.  When  it  comes  to  be  combed  or 
carded  the  fibres  will  snap  at  this  point  of  weakness,  thus 
rendering  the  wool  almost  worthless.  Overfeeding  for  a 
while,  and  then  underfeeding,  is  more  liable  to  produce 
these  breaks  than  if  the  sheep  had  been  kept  on  short  al- 
lowance all  the  time,  for  then  there  will  be  an  evenness  in 
the  fleece  not  otherwise  to  be  secured. 

A  water  supply  is  of  the  utmost  consequence  to  the  well- 
being  of  sheep,  and  this  water,  if  possible,  should  be  a  liv- 
ing stream.  Hard  water,  it  is  said,  or  water  abounding  in 
potash,  soda  and  lime,  is  far  better  than  soft  or  rain  water, 
as  it  assists  in  supplying  the  salts  that  so  largely  go  ta  the 
iormation  of  the  sheep.  But  this  has  not  always  proved 
true  in  this  State.  The  soft  water  of  the  highlands  has 
watered  many  healthy  flocks.  Should  a  flock  become  deli- 
cate, the  constant  access  to  boxes  containing  the  following 
mixture  will  prove  beneficial:  Equal  parts  of  salt,  Epsom 
salts,  bone  dust,  phosphate  of  lime,  saltpetre,  and  a  smaller 
quantity  of  copperas. 

Attention  should  be  given  to  the  slope  of  the  pasture,  to- 
wards or  from  the  sun.  Nothing  injures  sheep  more  than 


1. 81. 1 

to  be  exposed  to  long  and  continuous  blasts  of  cold  wind. 
They  produce  much  discomfort,  that  will,  if  continued  long, 
result  in  sickness,  drooping  and  death.  Place  two  flocks  on 
the  different  sides  of  a  hill,  and  one  can  quickly  see  the 
vast  difference  that  soon  makes  its  appearance  in  the  sheep. 
The  wool  of  the  northern  slope  will  become  harsh,  whiter, 
less  even,  and  the  sheep  will  look  dejected  and  drooping. 
The  lambs  are  affected  by  it  in  a  still  more  sensible  manner. 
They  lose  their  friskiness  and  seem  not  to  wish  to  play. 

It  rarely  ever  occurs  in  our  State,  and  that  is  one  cause 
of  its  superiority  as  a  sheep- raising  country,  that  the  feed 
on  a  good  pasture  becomes  exhausted  from  heat  or  drought. 
But  it  does  sometimes  occur.  When  it  does,  the  feed  must 
be  supplemented  by  green  soiling.  A  prudent  farmer  will 
always  have  a  crop  of  this  kind  to  be  used  in  case  of  emer- 
gency, as,  if  not  used,  it  can  easily  be  converted  into  hay 
for  winter  use.  Peas,  beans,  millet,  sorghum  sowed  broad- 
cast, corn  sowed  in  the  same  manner,  clover,  mustard,  will, 
together  with  the  dry  food  already  saved,  such  as  oats,  hay 
and  various  others,  answer  all  the  purposes.  With  a 
scythe-blade  and  a  sled,  the  sheep  can,  in  a  few  minute's 
work,  have  their  racks  filled  for  the  day's  use. 

The  writer  cannot  pass  without  commending  in  the  heart- 
iest manner  the  use  of  sown  sorghum  as  a  green  food.  An 
acre,  to  be  cut  as  used,  and  thrown  in  a  rack  under  cover, 
will  give  an  astonishing  amount  of  green  food.  Its  large 
quantity  of  saccharine  juices  is  very  delicious  to  all  manner 
of  stock.  A  farmer  who  once  tries  it,  will  ever  afterwards 
provide  himself  with  it.  A  bushel  of  seed  to  the  acre, 
sown  down  on  well-prepared,  rich  land,  and  harrowed  in, 
early  after  frosts  have  ceased,  will  do  in  a  couple  of  months, 
or  even  earlier,  to  begin  on,  and  it  can  be  cut  over  three 
or  four  times  before  it  is  destroyed  by  frost. 

Rye  for  sheep  should  be  sown  in  the  corn-fields  with  the 
last  plowing.  Then,  by  the  time  frost  destroys  vegeta- 
tion, there  will  be  a  wealth  of  green  food  for  the  stock. 
6 


[821 

Never  sow  less  than  two  and  a  half,  or  even  three  bushels 
per  acre.  The  only  objection  to  a  pasture  of  this  kind 
is  the  danger  of  having  the  wool  injured  by  burrs,  so  com- 
mon on  most  of  our  farms  and  especially  found  in  the  corn- 
fields. The  fault  with  the  most  of  our  rye  pastures  is  the 
want  of  seed.  Rye  does  not  tiller  like  wheat,  and,  there- 
fore, if  an  abundant  pasture  is  wanted,  put  the  seed  on  the 
ground  and  it  will  come.  Sheep  can  run  on  a  rye  pasture 
until  the  first  of  April,  or  even  later,  when  it  can  be  broken 
up  for  a  spring  crop,  and  the  droppings  of  the  sheep  will 
far  more  than  counterbalance  the  exhausting  eifects  of  the 
rye. 

Mustard  is  another  valuable  auxiliary  to  the  farmer,  not 
only  as  a  stimulant  during  the  summer,  but  as  a  food  for 
winter.  Sowed  on  a  piece  of  cleared  ground  during  Sep- 
tember, or  in  the  corn  after  it  is  laid  by,  it  will  afford  fine 
pasturage  during  winter,  and  even  when  covered  by  snow 
the  sheep  will  scrape  the  ground  with  their  hoofs  to  get  at 
it.  It  can  be  plowed  down  in  the  spring  and  not  allowed 
to  go  to  seed,  and  thus  it  will  be  easily  got  rid  of  after 
it  has  subserved  its  useful  purpose. 

Turnips,  however,  is  and  has  always,  in  England,  been 
the  staple  food  for  sheep.  In  Tennessee,  for  the  most  part, 
they  are  easily  raised,  and  will  stand  out  during  our  mild 
winters  with  but  little  loss.  In  England  the  plan  of  allow- 
ing sheep  to  feed  off  them  in  the  field  is  fast  falling  into 
disuse,  but  it  is  on  account  of  the  excessive  rains  they  have, 
which  make  the  ground  very  muddy,  and  the  sheep  are 
necessarily  chilled  by  exposure  while  eating  them.  But  in 
our  dry  climate  and  porous  soils  the  case  is  different,  and 
we  can  and  do  allow  our  sheep  to  run  out  all  winter.  Tur- 
nips, as  everyone  knows,  require  rich  land,  and  with  proper 
cultivation  a  thousand  or  even  fifteen  hundred  bushels  are 
an  ordinary  crop.  The  writer  of  this  once  cut  off  the  corn 
from  two  acres  of  new  land.  He  broke  it  up  well,  arid 
threw  up  ridges  about  two  and  a  half  feet  apart,  which  was 


[83] 

too  wide,  eighteen  inches  being  amply  sufficient.  He  sowed 
at  the  rates  of  two  pounds  of  seed  per  acre,  and  when  the 
turnip  leaves  were  about  as  large  as  a  half  dollar  he  thinned 
out  to  six  inches  in  the  furrow.  The  season  was  propitious, 
and  the  turnips  crowded  each  other  in  the  rows.  The  crop 
was  not  measured,  unfortunately,  but  it  was  astonishing — 
fully  one  thousand  bushels  to  the  acre.  To  sow  them  prop- 
erly, plow  and  harrow  the  land  until  it  is  in  a  fine  state  of 
tilth,  then  harrow  and  roll  until  it  is  perfectly  level.  After 
this,  with  a  seed  drill,  sow  at  the  rates  of  two  pounds  of 
seed  to  the  acre,  about  fifteen  or  eighteen  inches  apart. 
Sow  over  them,  just  as  they  come  out  of  the  ground,  one 
and  a  half  bushels  of  plaster  of  paris,  or  about  ten  bushels 
of  slacked  lime.  This  will  stimulate  the  plant  and  protect 
it  from  the  insects  that  prove  so  destructive  to  young  tur- 
nips. When  they  have  formed  three  or  four  leaves,  not 
later,  thin  with  the  hoe  and  hand  to  six  or  eight  inches, 
leaving  a  single  turnip  to  the  place.  Plow  once  thoroughly 
with  a  small  bull-tongue  plow,  and  the  work  for  the  crop  is 
finished.  Five  hundred  bushels  is  a  small  crop,  and  if  the 
land  is  good  it  will  oftener  yield  one  thousand  bushels. 

The  next  question  is,  what  kind  of  turnip  is  best  suited 
for  sheep?  This  is  a  question  that  will  have  to  be  decided 
by  each  one,  based  upon  his  owrn  or  the  experience  of  his 
neighbors.  Many  prefer  the  yellow  Aberdeen,  as  it  is  a 
large  growing  turnip,  and  yields  heavily.  If  this  is  selected 
it  must  be  sown  nearly  a  month  earlier  than  the  other  sorts. 
About  the  1st  of  July  is  the  proper  time.  If  the  rutabaga 
is  taken  it  will  have  to  be  sown  as  early  as  the  15th  June. 
Both  are  good  varieties.  The  large  Globe  sowed  about  the 
15th  of  August  is  a  fine  variety,  or  if  sowing  is  deferred 
later,  the  farmer  must  of  necessity  use  the  quicker  growing 
kinds,  such  as  the  flat  Dutch,  or  Strap-Leaf.  When  the 
turnips  are  ready  for  harvesting,  unless  it  is  desired  to  feed 
them  on  the  ground,  they  should  be  banked.  That  is,  let 
them  be  pulled  or  plowed  up,  have  the  leaves  cut  off,  place 


[84] 

them  in  piles  to  suit,  and  then  cover  about  with  two  feet  of 
leaves,  stalks  or  straw,  and  a  few  inches  of  earth  thrown 
over  them.  About  as  many  turnips  should  be  put  in  each 
hill  as  are  required  for  a  day's  feeding,  so  that  when  a  hill 
is  broken  it  will  be  fed  up  before  it  is  destroyed  by  freezing. 

How  will  they  be  fed  ?  There  are  only  two  plans,  and 
sometimes  both  plans  will  have  to  be  adopted  unless  the 
flock  is  large  enough  to  render  unnecessary  the  second. 
The  first  plan  is  to  turn  on  the  sheep  and  let  them  eat  them 
in  the  ground,  as  they  grew.  When  this  plan  is  pursued, 
the  owner  gets  the  benefit  of  the  foliage  as  well  as  the  root. 
Sheep  sometimes  show  a  disinclination  to  eat  them  at  first, 
but  a  little  salt  sprinkled  on  the  tops  to  start  them  will 
give  a  taste  that  will  soon  cause  them  to  eat  gredily.  If 
they  are  allowed  access  to  the  whole  field  at  once,  they  will 
destroy  and  waste  more  than  they  will  eat,  nibbling  here  and 
there  the  green  tops,  and  leaving  the  roots  to  rot.  There- 
fore they  should  be  confined  to  a  particular  spot  until  the 
turnips  are  consumed.  They  should  never  be  allowed  on 
more  turnips  than  they  will  consume  in  two  days  and  nights. 
One  thousand  head  will  consume  one  acre  of  good  turnips 
every  twenty-four  hours,  and  the  estimate  can  be  made  from 
this  basis.  A  portable  fence  should  be  used  to  fence  off  a 
few  acres  at  a  time,  and  the  sheep  kept*  on  this  plat  until 
the  turnips  are  consumed. 

Some  farmers,  and  it  is  a  most  excellent  idea,  use  hurdles 
to  confine  the  sheep  to  pastures,  as  well  as  to  turnip  fields. 
Hurdles  are  made  in  the  following  manner :  Take  a  four- 
square scantling,  any  length  desired,  and  bore  holes 
through  it  at  right  angles,  one  on  each  side  alternately, 
about  ten  inches  apart.  Then  put  through  these  holes  stakes 
six  feet  long.  The  holes  should  be  two  inches  in  diameter, 
and  the  stakes  should  be  of  good  tough  white  oak.  When 
completed,  it  will  have  the  stakes  projecting  in  four  direc- 
tions three  feet  long.  Laid  upon  the  ground  it  presents  a 
chevaux-de-frise  that  no  sheep  will  jump.  A  double  row  of 


[85] 

these  laid  across  a  clover  lot  enclosing  ten  or  fifteen  feet  in 
width  will  confine  the  sheep  to  that  spot,  and  prevent  tramp- 
ing and  picking  over  the  whole  field.  Not  only  this,  but 
when  they  have  passed  over  the  field,  which  is  done  by  sim- 
ply rolling  the  double  racks  which  they  resemble,  over  and 
over,  as  the  clover  is  eaten  clean,  the  clover  in  the  rear  has 
renewed  itself,  and  is  ready  for  another  going  over.  This 
plan  applies  not  only  to  clover,  but  to  any  other  kind  of 
pasturage,  such  as  sorghum,  rye,  Egyptian  grass,  or  any  of 
those  cultivated  grasses  that  will  grow  from  the  stub  after 
being  eaten  down. 

By  judicious  management  of  this  hurdle  a  field  infested 
with  noxious  weeds  can  be  cleaned  completely  of  them,  and 
at  the  same  time  brought  to  a  surpassing  state  of  fertility. 

But  it  is  not  always  the  case  the  farmer  wishes  to  feed 
the  turnips  on  the  ground.  They  are  then,  as  before  stated, 
gathered  before  any  hard  freezing  weather  comes  on,  say 
about  the  10th  or  15th  November,  in  this  climate,  and 
banked.  They  are  now  taken  out  and  fed  to  the  sheep  as 
required.  It  is  a  great  waste  to  feed  them  whole.  Va- 
rious plans  are  pursued  to  lessen  the  difficulty.  Some  boil 
them,,  and  mix  meal  with  them.  But  this  involves  so  much 
time  and  trouble  few  will  keep  it  up  long.  A  more  conve- 
nient plan  is  to  cut  or  pulp  them.  A  cheap  machine  that 
any  one  can  construct  for  himself  is  to  fasten  four  or 
six  rough  knives  to  a  circular  plank  with  a  crank  like 
that  attached  to  a  grind-stone.  The  knives  must  be 
screwed  on  the  side  next  the  hopper,  and  turned  out  to  suit 
the  size  of  the  slice  wished  to  be  cut.  A  hopper  holding  a 
bushel  is  set  on  the  frame,  with  the  side  next  the  knives  open 
to  allow  the  turnips  to  fall  against  them.  Turn  the  crank, 
and  they  are  quickly  sliced,  and  fall  into  a  trough  below. 
These  slices  placed  in  troughs,  with  a  little  meal  and  very 
little  salt,  will  make  a  splendid  food  for  sheep.  They  will 
be  sufficient  without  meal.  Another  machine  is,  instead  of 
knives  on  the  wheel,  to  have  projections  of  iron  shaped  like 


[86] 

a  morticing  chisel,  the  chisel  part  coming  through  the  wheel 
in  large  numbers,  say  a  hundred  or  more.  These  points 
striking  the  turnips  will  rapidly  tear  them  into  pulp.  It  is 
on  the  order  of  an  apple-mill.  The  wheel  could  be  of  cast 
iron,  cast  with  the  ragged  poiuts  to  answer  the  same  pur- 
pose. Meal,  oats  or  bran  mixed  with  the  pulp  would  make 
a  most  admirable  food  for  fattening  sheep.  Oil  cake  is 
another  food  not  much  used  heretofore  in  this  country,  but 
is  rapidly  coming  into  favor.  So  highly  is  this  food  es- 
teemed in  England  for  fattening  purposes,  that  the  cotton 
seed  oil  factories  of  Nashville  ship  all  their  oil  cake  to  that 
far-off  market,  while  our  home  farmers  overlook  its  excel- 
lence. It  abounds  in  nitrogenous  principles,  and  makes  the 
manure  of  animals  fed  from  it  of  the  most  excellent  char- 
acter. The  time,  however,  is  not  far  distant  when  this  diet 
will  find  a  market  at  our  own  doors. 

On  every  farm  in  the  State  of  Tennessee  may  be  seen  the 
effects  of  careless  culture,  and  this  is  especially  the  case  on 
those  farms  that  wholly  or  in  part  were  devoted  to  cotton 
and  tobacco  in  the  ante  helium  days.  This  effect  is  seen 
in  galled  spots  on  the  slopes  of  the  hills,  or  in  huge  gullies, 
that  make  the  slopes  like  sinuous  ribs.  It  should  be  the 
duty  and  pride  of  every  farmer  to  eradicate  these  evidences 
of  thriftlessness  from  his  place.  This  is  no  easy  task  under 
ordinary  circumstances,  but  it  can  be  done  with  comparatively 
little  work  by  the  aid  of  a  large  flock  of  sheep.  It  is  diffi- 
cult without  their  aid,  from  the  fact  that  the  earth  has  been 
denuded  of  any  soil  to  give  a  start  to  vegetation,  and  it 
can  be  done  only  by  vegetation.  There  must  be  enough  of 
soil  on  the  clay  to  enable  the  farmer  to  bind  it  there  by 
grass  or  clover,  when  the  soil  will  soon  accumulate  by  de- 
cay, and  the  eyesore  will  disappear.  This,  I  say,  can  read- 
ily be  done  by  the  aid  of  sheep  in  the  following  manner  : 

Provide  a  number  of  portable  troughs,  made  by  nailing 
the  edges  of  two  wide  planks  together,,  forming  a  V  shaped 
trough.  Then  nail  strips  either  across  the  top  of  the  trough, 


[87] 

or  what  is  better,  let  the  strips  be  raised  in  the  center,  mak- 
ing a  point  in  the  center  which  is  raised,  say  a  foot  above 
the  level  of  the  trough,  making  a  section  of  this  appear- 
ance O  .  Under  one  end  of  the  trough  pi  nee  a  pair  of 
rough  wheels  made  of  a  circle  of  plank,  and  under  the  other 
end  put  a  pair  of  legs  marked  thus  £  .  Then  attach  to  the 
end  opposite  to  the  wheels  a  pair  of  handles  made  of  plank 
also,  and  nailed  to  the  sides,  and  the  portable  trough  is  fin- 
ished. The  raised  strips  will  enable  it  to  hold  a  consid- 
erable amount  of  hay,  while  the  trough  may  contain  any 
kind  of  food  desirable  to  be  fed  them.  This  trough,  or  as 
many  as  may  be  required,  should  be  placed  on  one  of  those 
galled  spots,  or  among  the  gullies,  where  the  sheep  are  fed, 
until  the  clay  becomes  black  with  their  droppings,  besides 
having  large  quantities  trod  into  the  earth  by  their  feet. 
Then  move  it  away,  which  is  easily  done  by  one  man,  to  a 
fresh  spot,  and  plowing  up  the  place  lately  used,  seed  down 
with  clover,  grain  or  grass.  Unless  the  farm  is  badly  used 
up,  it  will  soon  be  covered  with  verdure  instead  of  being 
serried  with  gullies. 

We  cannot  close  this  chapter  without  once  more  calling 
attention  to  the  necessity  of  proper  protection  to  the  sheep 
from  the  inclemencies  of  the  weather  either  by  a  fold  pro- 
vided with  ample  sheltering,  or  what  is  better,  the  fold  and 
shelters  about  the  farm  for  protection  during  the  day.  Sheep 
require  protection  from  the  sun  as  well  as  from  cold.  It  is 
therefore  proper  on  various  parts  of  the  farm,  especially  in 
those  pastures  that  have  been  denuded  of  their  shade  trees,  to 
erect  sheds.  These  sheds  can  be  made  of  the  common  clap- 
board— something  like  the  sheds  used  by  bricklayers — if  a 
more  elaborate  building  is  not  preferred.  A  convenient 
plan,  and  an  economical  one,  is  to  build  a  shelter  at  the 
junction  of  four  fences,  if  such  an  one  exists  on  the  farm. 
It  will  thus  be  accessible  to  all  four  fields  by  being  cased 
around  five  feet  high  with  upright  boards,  and  having  a 
door  opening  into  uach  field. 


88] 

Sheep  should  be  constantly  watched,  and  should  any 
of  them  become  diseased,  they  should  at  once  be  removed 
from  the  others  and  placed  to  themselves  to  be  doctored. 
It  is  often  the  case  that  the  diseases  are  contagious,  and  the 
danger  of  communicating  to  the  other  sheep  should  be 
avoided.  A  whole  flock  is  often  lost  by  want  of  attention 
to  this  necessity  of  carefulness. 

To  keep  them  in  good  heart  frequent  change  of  pasture 
is  absolutely  necessary.  Sheep  naturally  love  change,  and 
one  often  wonders  at  the  avidity  shown  in  eating  when 
passed  from  an  old  to  a  new  field.  If  continued  too  long 
in  one  place  they  become  restless,  and  will  try  to  jump  out 
and  seek  that  relief  their  nature  seems  to  require.  To  keep 
them  quiet  and  contented,  therefore,  when  they  begin  to 
wander  about  and  become  restless,  change  their  quarters. 
The  fields,  if  large,  should  be  cut  into  smaller  ones  to  accom- 
modate this  peculiarity,  or  if  they  are  on  a  range,  let  them 
be  driven  to  another  section. 


[89] 


CHAPTER  VI. 

WINTER   MANAGEMENT   OF   SHEEP — FOOD— FATTENING  OP 

SHEEP. 

When  the  snows  and  frosts  of  winter  come  on,  the  green 
succulent  food  of  summer  is  destroyed,  and  a  change  has  to 
take  place  in  the  character  of  the  food.  This  change  should 
be  as  gradual  as  possible  to  prevent  derangement  of  the 
digestion  of  the  animals.  Therefore  a  short  feed  of  dry 
food  should  be  allowed  before  the  grasses  are  entirely  de- 
stroyed, unless  the  farm  should  be  well  set  in  blue- grass, 
which  will  keep  the  sheep  supplied  with  a  moderate  support 
during  the  entire  winter,  except  when  the  surface  is  covered 
with  snow.  Some  of  our  Tennessee  farms  require  the  feed 
of  sheep  to  be  slightly  supplemented  with  grains  and  hay, 
therefore  one  farmer  seeing  his  neighbor  with  good  lots 
allowing  his  flocks  to  get  a  total  supply  in  his  pastures  is 
too  apt,  with  insufficient  grasses,  to  follow  the  example  and 
not  feed  at  all,  or  at  least  giving  them  such  S3ant  supplies 
as  happen  to  be  at  hand.  They  make  no  special  provision 
for  them,  and  are  very  much  surprised  in  the  spring  to  see 
their  flocks  poor,  debilitated,  and  with  ragged  coats  of  wool 
stripping  here  and  there  in  patches  off  their  sides.  When 
one  sets  out  to  make  sheep  raising  an  object,  he  should  sup- 
ply himself  with  all  the  appliances  necessary  to  make  it  a 
success.  It  is  a  difficult  matter  to  say  which  is  the  more 
important,  good  feeding  or  good  shelters,  for  sheep  cannot 
possibly  thrive  with  the  snows  and  cold  rains  of  winter 
penetrating  all  through  the  fleece.  It  is  true  sheep  often, 
when  supplied  with  shelter,  will  refuse  it,  preferring  the 
open  pasture,  but  this  is  when  they  have  an  abundance  of 
good  nourishing  food.  Many  of  our  Middle  Tennessee  pas- 
tures are  thickly  set  with  shrub  cedar,  and  this  gives  them  a 


[90] 

fair  shelter  under  ordinary  circumstances.  Besides  this,  a 
large  portion  of  the  "  rim"  lands  of  Tennessee,  and  all  the 
mountain  ranges,  have  a  thick,  heavy  undergrowth  of  black 
jack,  oak,  hickory,  and  other  sorts  of  trees,  under  which 
sheep  are  safely  housed  during  the  rigors  of  winter.  But 
these  natural  shelters  must  be  supplemented  with  an  abun- 
dance of  good  nourishing  food;  and  right  here  is  the  expla- 
nation of  the  frequent  failures  of  sheep- raising  in  the  bar- 
rens and  on  the  table-lands  of  the  mountains.  Persons  go 
there  with  large  flocks,  and  run  them  on  the  ranges  through 
the  summer,  and  are  delighted  to  see  them  in  fine  condition 
in  the  fall.  Seeing  an  abundance  of  grass  covered  by  the 
falling  leaves  and  long-bent  grasses,  they  believe  they  can 
successfully  carry  them  through  the  winter  without  further 
food  than  that  afforded  by  nature.  But  the  leaves  have 
hid  much  of  the  grass,  and  the  snows  more,  and  the  grass 
by  constant  moisture  has  its  nutritious  qualities  washed  out, 
so  that  what  little  the  sheep  get  is  procured  with  much  diffi- 
culty, and  this  being  quite  innutritions,  the  stomach  of  the 
sheep  really  will  not  digest  enough  to  keep  up  its  condi- 
tion. Therefore  they  soon  begin  to  lose  flesh,  the  wool  not 
receiving  a  proper  nourishment  is  scant  and  rugged,  and 
disease  soon  puts  in  to  finish  what  starvation  began.  Thus 
it  is  that  the  cold  bleak  winds  of  March  blow  through 
them,  destroying  in  some  instances  entire  flocks.  They  will 
then  pronounce  anathemas  against  the  country,  and  make 
every  effort  to  deter  others  from  making  the  same  effort. 
On  the  contrary  it  rests  solely  with  the  flock-master  whether 
or  not  the  business  should  be  a  success.  He  should  provide 
shelters  sufficient  to  defend  them  from  the  severities  of  a 
mountain  winter  and  store  up  food  enough  in  his  barns  to 
keep  up  the  condition  derived  from  the  summer  pasturage. 

To  feed  well,  therefore,  is  the  first  duty  of  the  shepherd, 
and  to  supply  shelters  only  so  far  as  is  requisite  to  defend 
them  from  unusual  cold— so  as  to  keep  up  the  standard  of 
health,  is  the  second  duty. 


[91] 

But  few  of  our  farmers  are  able  to  supply  themselves 
with  large,  expensive  barns,  such  as  are  used  by  wealthy 
flock- masters  of  the  North,  who  sell  sheep  at  from  $25  to 
$50  the  pair,  and  it  is  therefore  unnecessary  to  go  into  a 
lengthy  detail  of  such  descriptions,  for  such  buildings  are, 
owing  to  our  mild  climate,  unnecessary.  Rarely  are  our  win- 
ters so  severe  that  the  cheap  shed  previously  mentioned  will 
not  be  found  amply  sufficient  for  all  purposes.  We  shall 
confine  ourselves  to  recommending  such  accommodations  as 
are  within  the  reach  of  every  mau  who  is  able  to  own  a 
flock  of  fifty  or  sixty  sheep.  A  suitable  site  should  be  se- 
lected, and  it  should,  if  possible,  be  situated  on  the  crown 
of  an  eminence,  so  that  the  water  will  flow  in  every  direc- 
tion from  the  barn.  If  no  such  place  presents  itself  in  a 
suitable  location,  some  point  should  be  chosen  with  a  south- 
ern exposure.  By  all  means  avoid  a  north  hill-side.  Care 
should  be  taken  to  avoid  a  marshy  or  "crawfishy"  spot,  as 
no  sheep  c,m  be  kept  in  a  healthy  condition  with  wet  feet 
all  the  time,  as  has  been  explained  in  a  previous  chapter. 
Then  a  yard  should  be  laid  off  containing  a  half  acre  for 
every  fifty  head  of  sheep,  well  fenced  with  planks  or  pick- 
ets, care  being  exercised  to  have  it  dog  proof.  I  have 
already  explained  the  convenience  of  erecting  sheds  around 
on  the  inside  of  this  fence,  under  which  to  place  racks  to 
shelter  their  food.  But  these  racks  are  not  entirely  suffi- 
cient to  protect  sheep  from  the  inclemencies  of  a  winter. 
Therefore,  in  addition  to  these  racks  and  shelters,  there 
should  be  built  a  large  shelter  in  the  enclosure.  It  should 
or  can  be  made  by  simply  setting  posts  in  the  ground,  and 
then  covering  with  clap-boards;  afterwards  set  a  row  of  the 
same  boards,  say  four  feet  long,  all  around  it,  leaving  the 
space  between  the  ends  of  the  boards  and  the  plate  of  the 
shelter  open,  so  as  to  admit  free  ventilation.  The  shelter 
should  have  a  steep  roof  for  two  reasons  :  In  the  first  place, 
.unless  it  is  steep,  the  roof  being  large,  will  leak,  making  it 
sloppy.  Then  it  will,  if  steep,  present  a  large  store  for  the 


[92] 


hay  designed  for  their  food.  Indeed  it  would  be  better  to 
run  joists  across  the  barn  about  seven  feet  from  the  floor, 
which  will  add  a  large  additional  storage  room.  A  trough 
should  be  set  on  the  floor  running  with  the  eaves,  same 
length  with  the  shed,  and  a  rack  made  to  rest  on  a  pole 
placed  immediately  above  the  trough,  not  so  high  but  that 
the  sheep  can  easily  reach  the  hay.  At  the  other  end  of  the 
rack  strips  can  rest  upon  the  joists  above,  making  a  space 
six  or  seven  feet  across  at  the  top.  With  this  arrangement 
a  man  in  the  loft  can  easily  fill  the  rack  from  the  hay  above, 
which  can  be  pulled  down  by  means  of  a  hook  on  a  pole 
within  reach  of  the  sheep  as  they  eat  it.  Thus  the  sheep 
will  have  free  access  to  food  at  all  times  of  the  day,  and 
being  of  that  class  of  animals  called  ruminant,  they,  in  a 
state  of  nature,  are  perpetual  feeders.  Another  plan,  and 
it  is  a  very  good  one,  is  to  place  the  shed  at  one  end  of  the 
enclosure,  making  one  side  and  two  ends  serve  the  purpose 
of  the  fence.  It  is  only  necessary  to  build  the  center  build- 
ing when  the  flock  is  over  the  ordinary  size  for  50,  75,  or 
«ven  100  head.  The  cheap  shelters  referred  to  will  be  suffi- 
cient to  protect  them,  for  aside  from  the  nights,  we  rarely 
have  weather  sufficiently  cold  to  make  the  shelter  desirable 
all  day ;  in  fact  it  is  more  a  protection  against  cold  rains  and 
ravages  of  dogs  at  night  that  these  shelters  are  chiefly  val- 
uable, for  in  Tennessee  we  never  have  the  severe  cold  and 
deep  snows  that  the  Northern  flock  masters  have  to  contend 
with.  Through  our  most  severe  winters  we  have  but  few 
•days  so  cold  that  sheep  will  not  leave  shelter  to  graze.  It 
is  as  important,  however,  for  our  farmers  to  have  such  shel- 
ters as  we  have  described  in  order  to  be  successful  in  sheep - 
husbandry,  as  it  is  for  the  Northern  farmer  to  have  his  close 
and  expensive  barn,  for  the  cold  rains  of  the  South  are  as 
apt  to  produce  disease  in  our  flocks  as  the  deep  snows  and 
icy  winds  of  the  North  are  to  produce  famine. 

One  thing  is  essential  in  making  these  protective  build- 
ings, and  that  is  they  ought  to  be  clean.     There  must  not  be 


[93] 

any  more  mud  or  slush  around  the  building  than  is  possible, 
and  the  floor,  whether  of  the  earth  or  of  plank,  must  be 
strewed  with  straw  for  bedding.  It  should  be  the  duty  of 
one  hand,  at  least  twice  a  week,  to  rake  up  and  cart  out  all 
the  droppings  and  the  old  straw  that  have  become  saturated 
with  the  urine.  If  the  manure  heap  is  made  within  the 
enclosure,  it  must  be  so  arranged  that  the  sheep  cannot  sleep 
on  it.  If  allowed,  its  warmth  ensuing  from  fermentation, 
will  be  an  invitation  to  the  sheep  to  sleep  on  it.  The  gases, 
especially  ammonia,  arising  from  it,  will  have  a  very  delete- 
rious effect  on  their  health.  It  is  therefore  absolutely  requi- 
site to  have  it  without  the  enclosure  or  protect  it  from  them. 

To  more  effectually  prevent  the  yard  from  becoming  a 
slough  of  mud,  it  is  better  that  the  eaves  of  the  shed  should 
be  guttered  with  either  tin  or  two  planks  nailed  edges  to- 
gether, forming  a  trough  which,  with  a  little  attention,  will 
answer  all  the  purposes  of  a  more  expensive  arrangement. 
This  is  more  easily  accomplished  when  the  shed  forms  one 
end  of  the  enclosure.  Should,  however,  the  shed  be  in  the 
center  of  the  enclosure,  the  water  must  still  be  conveyed 
from  the  yard  by  means  of  troughs,  as  otherwise  in  the 
winter  it  would  be  very  difficult  to  keep  it  in  a  dry  condi- 
tion, and  sheep  more  than  any  other  animal  require  dryness 
under  foot. 

There  is  very  little  or  no  care  bestowed  upon  the  cleaning 
up  and  gathering  together  of  sheep  manure  in  our  State. 
We  are  hereditarily  a  slovenly  people  in  farming,  and  the 
value  of  manure  has  never  been  a  factor  in  estimating  the 
value  of  farm  products.  Sheep  manure,  from  its  coldness, 
does  not  easily  ferment  like  horse  dung,  and  therefore  re- 
tains its  value  much  longer  than  the  excrement  of  the 
horse  or  man.  It  ranks  among  the  very  best  of  the  ma- 
nures produced  by  animals,  especially  from  those  sheep  that 
are  fed  with  rich  food  for  fattening  purposes.  As  has  been 
already  stated,  the  mastication  of  sheep  is  so  perfect 
there  is  no  danger  of  weed  seeds  coming  up  after  having 


[94] 

passed  through  the  stomach  of  a  sheep.  Both  the  urine  and 
dung  are  very  rich  in  fertilizing  properties.  Urea,  the  ac- 
tive principle  of  urine,  has  a  large  quantity  of  nitrogen  in 
it,  and  sheep's  urine  contains,  according  to  one  of  our  best 
analysts,  28  parts  of  urea  in  every  1,000  parts,  and  12  parts 
of  salts,  among  which  is  a  large  proportion  of  phosphoric 
acid.  In  one  hundred  parts  of  the  dung  of  sheep  there  are 
68  per  cent,  of  water,  19.3  of  animal  and  vegetable  matter, 
and  12.7  per  cent,  of  saline  matters.  This  19.3  per  cent,  of 
organic  matter  contains  as  much  nitrogen,  which  is  the  value 
of  manure's  chiefly,  as  43  parts  of  horse  dung,  63  parts  of 
hog  manure,  or  125  parts  of  cow  dung,  and  is  equal  to 
100  parts  of  the  ordinary  stable  or  barnyard  manure.  It  is 
much  drier  than  other  manures,  having  but  little  water, 
comparatively  speaking.  For  instance,  let  a  horse  receive 
100  parts  of  dry  fodder,  and  he  will  defecate  216  pounds  of 
fresh  manure,  which  being  dried,  makes  46  pounds  of  dry 
manure,  while  the  sheep  with  the  same  food  would  give  but 
128  pounds  of  fresh  manure,  making  43  pounds  of  dried. 
This  is  manure  made  with  the  ordinary  method  of  feeding, 
such  as  hay,  fodder,  and  such  grass  as  they  can  pick  up. 
But  when  sheep  are  fed  with  grain  or  other  highly  stimu- 
lating food  for  fattening  purposes,  with  food  rich  in  albu- 
men and  phosphates,  the  oil  and  starch  only  are  assimilated 
and  go  to  the  formation  of  fat  arid  flesh,  while  the  re- 
mainder, including  the  larger  part  of  the  salts,  goes  to  the 
manure  heap,  thus  adding  very  greatly  to  its  value  as  a  land 
application.  This  fact  has  long  been  known  and  used  to 
the  improvement  of  land  by  the  English  farmer,  and  must 
be  learned  and  practiced  by  our  people.  The  declining  fer- 
tility of  our  soils  calls  loudly  for  all  the  aid  we  can  give  it, 
and  it  is  time  to  recognize  the  fact  that  if  we  continue  to 
draw  from  the  land,  and  never  put  anything  to  it,  it  will 
after  awhile  cease  to  respond  to  our  calls  upon  it. 

We  dislike  to  repeat,  but  with  the  danger  of  being  charged 
with  too  much  repetition,  we  must  once  again  call  attention 


[95] 

to  the  value  of  oil  cake  in  feeding,  not  only  as  a  diet  that 
rapidly  promotes  the  collection  of  flesh  and  fat,  but  as  a 
powerful  addition  to  the  manurial  value  of  the  barnyard. 
Those  who  have  tried  it  are  delighted  with  its  effects.  It  is 
very  rich  in  oil,  and  the  manure  falling  from  the  cake  fed 
animal  possesses  a  value  beyond  estimation.  This  fact  has 
long  been  recognized  in  England,  and  that  is  why  the  oil 
cake  from  our  oil  factories  is  shipped  to  England  instead 
of  finding  a  market  here  at  home.  It  is  plain,  however, 
that  the  reason  is,  because  the  fewest  numbers  of  farmers, 
and  I  say  it  with  great  reluctance,  save  their  manure  at  all. 
Those  few  who  do,  place  no  particular  estimate  on  any  given 
quality  it  may  have,  being  content  to  spread  whatever  they 
happen  to  have,  satisfying  themselves  if  it  is  only  ma- 
nure. The  dung  of  cattle  or  sheep  fed  on  oil  cake  is  so 
vastly  enriched  that  it  may  be  spread  on  a  greatly  extended 
area  with  far  better  results  than  can  be  obtained  from  ordi 
nary  manure  of  a  much  larger  bulk,  and  the  color  of  the 
grass  or  grain  is  darker,  and  can  be  discerned  to  the  very 
row.  Not  only  is  it  better  in  the  long  run,  but  its  action 
is  quickly  seen,  and  its  effects  will  re  m  ft  in  long  after  the 
presence  of  the  manure  cannot  be  detected  in  the  soil.  Nor  in 
the  case  of  sheep  does  it  require  the  tedious  process  of 
spreading,  for  they  themselves  distribute  it  so  regularly  and 
uniformly  over  a  field  that  every  blade  of  grass  and  every 
root  receives  its  share,  and  by  a  more  luxuriant  growth 
shows  the  presence  of  the  stimulant. 

In  estimating  the  size  of  sheds  for  sheep,  10  foot  square, 
according  to  the  most  approved  plans  North,  are  generally 
allotted  to  each  sheep.  This,  however,  is  more  space  than 
necessary  in  our  climate,  for  the  reason  mentioned  above,  that 
it  is  only  at  night,  and  on  cold,  rainy  days,  that  the  sheep 
husbandmen  in  Tennessee  require  this  shelter.  The  flocks 
with  us  are  not  confined  to  this  limited  space  on  account  of 
snows  or  excessively  cold  weather,  for  weeks  at  a  time,  like 
they  are  in  the  less  favored  regions  North.  A  shed  20  feet 


1196] 

wide  and  50  feet  long  will  comfortably  shelter  125  to  150 
sheep.  It  will  be  economy  for  the  farmer  to  bed  down 
under  the  shed  with  straw.  Not  only  will  it  make  an  excel- 
lent article  of  manure,  but  it  will  protect  the  fleece  from 
dirt,  give  a  dry  footing  for  the  sheep,  and  make  them  more 
comfortable.  For  this  purpose  a  good  thick  coating  of  straw 
should  be  first  spread  out.  In  a  week's  time  this  will  be 
pretty  evenly  packed  down  and  well  saturated  with  urine, 
and  covered  with  manure.  A  complete  covering  of  fresh, 
clean  straw  should  be  spread  over  this,  and  as  soon  as  it  be- 
comes soiled  it  should  be  removed,  and  a  fresh  layer  spread 
out.  If  the  sheep  are  housed  every  night  the  bedding 
should  be  renewed  at  least  once  a  week. 

In  making  racks  for  hay  care  should  be  taken  to  make 
them  so  close  together  as  to  prevent  the  sheep  from  getting 
their  heads  hung  between  the  bars,  and  thus  slaughtering 
them  as  is  often  the  case,  or  they  should  be  placed  so  far 
apart  that  they  can  easily  thrust  in  and  withdraw  their  heads. 
The  ends  of  the  racks  should  have  bars  placed  across  them 
or  a  fine  young  lamb  will  be  found  tangled  in  the  bars  occa- 
sionally, chilled  to  death.  Three  and  a  half  or  six  inches 
should  be  the  rule.  In  the  first  distance  they  cannot  get 
in  and  in  the  latter  they  can  get  out. 

WINTEE    FOOD. 

This  important  subject  will  have  to  be  treated  under  two 
heads,  according  to  the  requirements  of  the  case.  Under 
ordinary  circumstances  but  little  attention  is  paid  to  the  diet 
of  sheep  save  by  those  who  have  some  extra  fine  sheep  for 
sale.  The  large  majority  of  Tennessee  farmers  run  their 
flucks  on  the  commons  or  on  a  fair  winter  pasture,  and  only 
feed  during  excessive  cold  rains  or  snow,  and  then  in  a  very 
limited  manner.  The  old  rule  of  ante  bellum  farmers  was 
one  ear  of  corn  to  every  ten  sheep,  which  simply  amounts 
to  no  feed  at  all.  This  was  in  addition  to  a  few  dirty  shucks 
or  the  most  inferior  fodder,  they  had  no  hay,  and  the  freedom 


[971 

of  a  pile,  not  a  rack  or  stack,  of  straw.  To  excuse  them- 
selves from  stinginess,  some  old  gentleman  originated  the 
idea  that  corn  caused  them  to  shed  their  wool.  It  no  doubt 
had  that  effect  in  the  quantity  fed,  but  it  was  the  want  of  it 
rather  than  the  use  of  it.  Many  a  poor  sheep  has  bleached 
its  bones  upon  the  hillsides  of  Tennessee,  a  victim  to  this  false 
aphorism. 

Attention    to  the  diet   therefore  falls  under  two  heads; 
first,  stock  sheep;  second,  fattening  sheep  for  mutton. 

FEEDING   STOCK    SHEEP. 

Fortunately  for  the  Southern  farmer  there  is  no  want  of 
variety  of  food  for  sheep.  Besides  the  winter  pastures,  such 
as  blue-grass,  mosses,  barren  grasses,  rye,  wheat  and  barley, 
we  have  hay  of  various  kinds,  such  as  timothy,  herdVgrass, 
orchard  grass,  clovers,  sorghum  and  dhoura;  we  have 
straws,  pea  vines,  fodder,  oats,  peas,  beans,  corn,  barley,  rye, 
cotton  seed  and  oil-cake,  bran,  meal,  turnips,  beets,  carrots, 
rutabagas,  mangel-  wurtzel,  and  in  fact  our  list  of  diet  is  equal 
to  the  bills  of  fare  of  the  most  fashionable  hotels  of  the 
country.  The  sheep  as  nearly  as  any  other  is  an  omniv- 
orous animal,  and  they  will  thrive  on  anything,  from  the 
buds  and  twigs  of  a  thicket  to  the  best  of  animal  food.  As 
has  been  already  stated,  but  little  special  preparation  is  made 
for  a  flock  of  sheep,  the  owner  being  content  to  carry  them 
through  a  winter  on  anything  that  may  be  at  hand,  in  most 
instances  contenting  himself  to  let  the  sheep  barely  subsist 
upon  the  scant  pickings  of  the  field  or  forest.  But  as  this 
work  is  not  intended  for  a  merely  reading  book,  but  to  give 
such  instruction  to  those  seeking  it  as  will  enable  them  suc- 
cessfully to,  not  only  carry  their  flocks  alive  through  a  win- 
ter, but  to  have  them  fit  for  market  at  any  time  during  the 
year  they  may  wish  to  convert  them  into  food.  Therefore 
we  will  first  examine  into  the  relative  value  of  the  different 
kinds  of  food,  as  the  amount  of  nutrition  each  may  contain 
7 


[98] 

determines  their  relative  value  in  dollars  and  cents.  It  may 
be  that  many  of  our  readers  will  engage  or  are  already  em- 
barked in  the  business  of  fattening  sheep  for  market  on  a 
small  farm  where  it  is  impossible  for  them  to  raise  their 
own  produce.  When  they  have  to  go  on  the  market  for  thier 
barn  supplies  it  is  a  matter  of  no  little  importance  to  know 
which  or  what  kind  of  food  combines  the  more  nutritious 
substances  at  a  given  cost.  The  appended  tables  will  to 
such  an  one  be  invaluable. 

Organic         Flesh       Fat  starch        Crude 
In  100  parts  of      Water.  Ash.         matter.      formers.         gum.  fibre. 

Meadow  hay 14.3  6.2  79.5  8.2  41.3  300 

Bed  clover  hay  ...16.7  6.2  77.1  13.4  29.9  35.8 

Pea  straw 14.3  4.0  81.7  6.5  35.2  40.0 

Bean  straw 17.3  5.0  77.7  10.2  33.5  34.0 

Wheat  straw 14.3  5.5  80.0  2.0  30.2  48.0 

Eye  straw 14.2  3.2  82.5  1.5  27.0  54.0 

Barley  straw 14.3  7.0  78.7  3.0  32.7  43.0 

Oat  straw ..14.3  5.0  80.7  2.5  38.2  40.0 

€orn  fodder 14.0  4.0  82.0  3.0  39.0  40.0 

These  analyses  are  taken  from  the  hay  cut  in  the  blossom. 
If  allowed  to  get  fully  ripe  the  crude  fibre  is  largely  increased 
and  a  corresponding  depreciation  of  the  fat  and  flesh  form- 
ing principles  ensues. 

COMPARATIVE  VALUE  AS  TO  NUTRITION   OP  THE  SAME  MATERIALS  IN  ONE 
HUNDRED  PARTS,  TAKING  ENGLISH  OR  MEADOW  HAY  AS  A  BASIS. 

Meadow  or  English  hay 10.0 

Clover  hay 12.5 

Pea  straw 16.5 

Bean  straw 18.6 

Wheat  straw 2.0 

Eye  straw 1.6 

Barley  straw 2.0 

Oat  straw 1.8 

Corn  fodder 2.5 

Now  in  order  to  produce  the  same  nutrition  in  an  animal 
that  ten  pounds  of  meadow  hay  would  give,  there  will  have 
to  be  fed  of 


[99] 

•Clover  hay 8  pounds. 

Pea  straw ^ 6  pounds. 

Bean  straw 5£  pounds. 

Wheat  straw 52  pounds. 

Rye  straw 61  pounds. 

Barley  straw 52  pounds. 

Oat  straw  55  pounds. 

Corn  fodder 40  pounds. 

Some  allowances  will  have  to  be  made  for  the  various 
kinds  of  straw  and  hay,  as  much,  indeed  a  large  part,  de- 
pends on  the  time  of  cutting,  manner  of  curing  and  storing ; 
the  same  hay  or  straw  under  different  circumstances  pre- 
senting very  different  nutritive  effects.  It  will  be  a  difficult 
matter  to  persuade  our  Tennessee  farmers  that  corn  fodder 
is  four  times  less  valuable  than  hay,  as  many  of  us  believe 
it  is  almost  equal,  and  many,  that  it  is  superior  to  any  kind 
of  hay.  These  analyses  are  from  Professor  Way,  and  he 
frankly  admits  that  the  fodder  is  estimated.  We  think  his 
-estimate  is  below  its  value,  from  the  fact  that  this  roughness 
has  always  heretofore,  and  still  is,  largely  relied  on  to  the 
exclusion  of  all  others. 

It  however  becomes  very  apparent  from  the  insight  given 
by  these  tables,  that  our  usual  method  of  depending  on  a 
pile  of  straw  to  feed  cattle  or  sheep  is  a  very  precarious  way 
of  keeping  them  in  order,  or  even  alive.  It  is  true  the  straws 
have  a  value,  but  just  think  for  one  moment  of  the  amount  of 
straw  that  must  enter  a  sheep's  stomach  to  enable  it  to  live. 
It  would  not  be  impossible  for  a  sheep  to  consume  ten  pounds 
of  hay  in  a  day,  and  yet  to  procure  the  same  amount  of  nutri- 
tion that  sheep  must  eat  of  wheat  straw  52  pounds,  of  rye 
straw  61  pounds,  and  of  oat  straw  55  pounds.  It  is  very 
evident  from  this  tabulation  that  if  they  had  no  other  food 
they  would  starve  to  death.  With  the  addition  of  grain,  or 
some  other  of  the  more  concentrated  forms  of  food,  they  can 
do  very  well  with  a  constant  access  to  the  straw  pile. 

Our  Northern  brethren  have  long  since  adopted  a  system 
of  raising  quantities  of  roots  adequate  to  the  necessities  of 


[100] 

the  flock.  This  has  so  long  been  practiced  by  our  English 
cousins  that  no  farmer  thinks  of  encountering  a  winter  with- 
out a  supply  of  roots  in  his  cellar.  It  is  proper  we  should 
imitate  these  customs  that  are  amply  proved  to  be  beneficial, 
not  only  in  affording  food,  but  in  keeping  the  flocks  in  a 
good  state  of  health.  It  is  true  the  roots  do  not  contain  a 
very  great  quantity  of  nourishment,  but  the  large  amount 
of  water  in  their  composition  tends,  in  a  great  measure,  to 
compensate  for  the  dry  fodders  they  otherwise  would  be  con- 
fined to  at  this  season  of  the  year.  To  give  a  just  idea  of 
their  value,  we  append  a  table  from  the  work  of  Drs. 
Voelcker  and  Lankester,  giving  the  value  of  each  in  one 
hundred  parts. 


Woody 
fibre.        Ash. 

1.03  .80 

1.12  .96 

2.54  .62 

2.34  .65 

2.00  1.02 

1.70  1.00 

It  will  be  seen  by  this  table  that  a  large  proportion  of 
roots  is  water,  and  yet,  with  all  this,  they  are  highly  prized, 
not  only  for  the  beneficial  effect  they  have  upon  the  health 
and  growth  of  sheep,  but  experience  has  demonstrated  the 
fact  that  sheep  fed  largely  on  roots  have  a  very  fine  lustrous 
wool,  especially  on  the  long  wool  species.  The  quantity  of 
roots  to  be  fed  depends  on  the  size  and  age  of  the  sheep,  old 
and  large  sheep  requiring  a  larger  allowance  of  roots  than 
young  or  smaller  ones.  They  should  be  always  combined 
with  hay,  and  the  largest  quantity  given  should  not  be  more 
than  one  bushel  to  every  ten  sheep.  As  to  the  manner  of 
its  preparation,  that  has  already  been  noticed.  Cut  or 
pulped  up,  and  with  a  little  bran  or  meal  scattered  over  it, 
with  a  rack  full  of  hay,  the  sheep  need  not  go  through  a 
winter  half  starved  and  with  poor  wool,  but  will  come 


TABLE  OF  NTJTJtn 

Water. 
Sugar  Beets      8105 

TVE  VALUE 

Flesh 
formers. 

1.00 
1.54 
1.44 
1.80 
1.14 
1.50 

OF  BOOTS. 

Fat 
formers. 

15.40 
8.60 
5.93 
4.64 
2.96 
10.80 

Mangel-  Wurtzels  

..87.78 

...89.40 

Yellow  Aberdeen  Turnip. 
Large  Globe  Turnip  
Carrot... 

..90.57 
..90.43 
..85.00 

[101] 


through  in  fine  order;  the  lambs  will  be  good,  and  will 
grow  off  in  a  corresponding  manner. 

It  has  already  been  stated  that  one  acre  of  average  turnips 
will  yield  about  800  to  1,000  bushels.  The  yield  of  beets 
and  rutabagas  will  make  but  little  less  if  any.  One  can 
therefore  soon  make  an  estimate  as  to  the  number  of  acres 
of  roots  necessary  to  winter  a  flock  of  sheep  of  any  given 
number.  One  acre  of  roots  will  make  say  800  bushels. 
This  amount  will  feed  100  sheep  80  days,  together  with  a 
small  modicum  of  hay,  say  one  pound  per  day,  and  a  gill  of 
meal  to  each  sheep.  Now,  estimating  the  number  of  feeding 
months  to  be  five,  beginning  with  the  1st  of  November  and 
ending  1st  of  April,  it  will  require  to  carry,  in  prime  order 
through  that  period,  100  sheep,  1,500  bushels  of  roots  or  the 
product  of  two  acres,  or  at  the  most,  three  acres  of  good 
land.  In  addition  to  this  it  will  require  about  four  tons  of 
hay  and  about  forty-five  bushels  of  meal.  Of  course  this 
is  a  most  liberal  allowance,  and  the  calculation  is  based  upon 
the  idea  that  they  have  nothing  else  whatever  to  eat. 
Owing  to  our  rnild  climate  and  generous  pastures,  there  is 
not  one  winter  in  twenty  that  our  sheep  will  require  such 
abundance  of  food.  It  is  perfectly  safe  to  say  that  one-half 
the  amount  of  roots  and  meal  mentioned  above  will  be,  in 
addition  to  the  grass  they  will  have  through  almost  the  en- 
tire winter,  ample  food  to  keep  them  in  thrifty  condition, 
and  if  the  above  rations  were  fed  to  them  in  addition  to  the 
pasturage,  they  would,  in  a  few  weeks,  be  almost  too  fat  even 
for  a  butcher.  None  but  those  intended  for  the  shambles 
should  be  fed  so  extravagantly.  Breeding  ewes  should  be 
fed  liberally,  especially  after  lambing,  but  to  gorge  them  on 
rich  food  before  lambing  has  a  tendency  to  make  them 
abort,  and  by  taking  on  a  superabundance  of  fat,  cause  them 
to  become  barren.  It  will  be  found  best  to  change  their 
food  often,  and  at  no  time  give  them  more  rich  food,  such  as 
turnips,  beets,  oil- cake,  etc.,  than  they  will  eagerly  eat  up. 

There  must  be  a  constant  supply  of  salt  also  and  good 


[102] 

clear  water.  The  mustard  patch  heretofore  spoken  of  is  a 
fine  stimulant  to  the  appetite  during  winter  months.  We 
refer  the  reader  to  the  article  on  rye,  wheat  and  barley  pas- 
tures, which  will  be  sufficient  with  the  addition  of  very  little 
grain  indeed  to  take  them  well  and  fat  through  the  cold 
months  in  Tennessee. 

FATTENING  SHEEP  FOB  MUTTON. 

Much  consideration  is  due  to  the  age  and  previous  condi- 
tion of  a  sheep  that  is  going  to  be  prepared  for  market. 
From  this  circumstance  it  is  absolutely  necessary  that  the 
flock  should  be  divided.  The  age  must  be  thought  of, 
whether  it  is  growing  or  is  in  a  state  of  maturity,  whether 
there  is  a  drain  upon  its  powers  as  in  the  case  of  an  ewe 
being  with  or  suckling  a  lamb,  or  whether  a  ram  is  serving 
females.  The  flock  should  be  graded  to  these  views,  and 
different  quarters  provided  for  each  class.  We  give  the  fol- 
lowing experiment  of  Dr.  Voelcker,  of  the  Royal  Agricul- 
tural Society  of  England,  as  a  sort  of  guide  for  giving  the 
proper  quantity  and  quality  of  different  kinds  of  food  : 

He  fed  four  sheep  seven  weeks  and  they  consumed  196 
pounds  clover  hay,  49  pounds  linseed  oil-cake,  3,743  pounds 
mangel- wurtzels,  which  gave  a  daily  ration  to  each  animal 
of  1  pound  clover  hay,  4  ounces  oil-cake,  and  19J  pounds 
mangels.  The  nutritive  elements  contained  in  this  daily 
ration,  according  to  our  table,  was  4J  ounces  flesh  formers, 
53  J  ounces  fat  formers,  and  4|  ounces  of  mineral  matters. 
Here  is  the  effect. 

Weight  at  At  end  of  Gain  of  each 

commencement.  seven  weeks.  in  weight. 

No.  1 153  pounds.  170^  pounds.  17i  pounds. 

No.  2 134       "  151J       "  17J       " 

No.  3 170       "  187         "  17         " 

No.  4 135       «  155         "  20 

.Each  sheep  gained  on  an  average  one  pound  in  three  days, 
or  one  pound  for  every  fifty-six  pounds  of  food  consumed ; 
or  for  every  sixty-two  ounces  of  dry  matter  contained  in  the 
food.  It  has  been  demonstrated  by  frequent  experiment 


[103] 

that  one  hundred  pounds  of  roots  fed  in  a  yard  with  shelters 
will  give  one  pound  of  live  weight  to  the  sheep,  or  if  fed  in 
an  open  pasture  without  protection  it  will  require  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  pounds  to  produce  the  same  result,  or  one- 
third  more,  and  this  relative  proportion  will  hold  with  re- 
gard to  all  other  kinds  of  feeding.  If  one  and  one-half 
pounds  of  oil-cake  is  given  daily,  the  increase  is  two  pounds 
for  every  100  pounds  of  roots,  which  shows  that  four  and 
one-half  pounds  of  oil-cake  will  make  one  pound  of 
mutton.  When  peas,  beans  and  hay  were  fed  with 
the  roots  it  was  found  that  eight  pounds  of  the 
mixed  grain  would  make  one  pound  increase  in  weight, 
and  oats  fed  with  roots  shows  that  seven  pounds  of 
oats,  with  the  same  quantity  of  roots  as  fed  before,  will 
give  one  pound  of  increase.  Six  pounds  of  barley  would 
produce  the  same  result.  Messrs.  L/awes  and  Gilbert  in  the 
course  of  experiments,  established  the  fact,  that  to  produce 
100  pounds  of  mutton  it  was  necessary  to  feed  272J  pounds 
of  oil-cake,  252J  pounds  clover  hay,  and  3753  pounds  of 
roots  (rutabagas).  These  experiments  are  recorded  in  the 
Journal  of  the  Royal  Agricultural  Society.  In  summing 
up,  they,  taking  into  consideration  the  various  conditions  of 
the  animals,  the  varying  value  of  the  feed  and  its  quality, 
and  all  the  circumstances  of  disturbance  and  repose  in  which 
a  flock  may  be  kept,  came  to  the  conclusion  that,  to  produce 
one  pound  of  flesh,  it  would  be  necessary  to  feed  the  follow- 
ing substances  under  a  shelter,  as  it  would  require  an  addi- 
tion of  one-half  of  each  food  to  attain  the  same  result  in  the 
open  pasture.  This  calculation  too  is  based  upon  the  idea 
of  there  being  no  other  food  in  reach.  It  is  as  follows  : 

Rutabagas  fed  under  cover 100  pounds. 

Good  clover  hay 12  " 

Beans  or  Peas 8  " 

Oats 7  " 

Barley 6  " 

Linseed  oil-cake  meal  6  " 

Linseed  oil-cake  meal  and  peas  mixed 4-i  •' 


[104] 

Now  the  last  item  in  this  case  shows  curiously  enough 
the  value  of  mixed  food.  Of  the  oil  cake  it  requires 
six  pounds  to  produce  one  of  flesh,  and  of  peas  it  re- 
quires eight  pounds,  yet  mix  the  two  together,  and  it  only 
takes  four  and  a  half  pounds,  or  three-fourths  of  the  quan- 
tity when  mixed. 

Turnips  are  more  commonly  raised  for  sheep  food  than 
any  other  root  crop,  but  it  is  the  result  only  of  habit,  and 
it  is  time  the  old  rut  should  be  abandoned  and  a  new  path 
marked  out.  As  said  before,  few  of  our  Tennessee  farmers 
raise  roots  of  any  kind,  but  if  once  the  habit  of  feeding 
with  roots  was  established  they  would  never  fail  in  it  after- 
wards. The  large  amount  of  water  in  roots  prepares  the 
food  in  the  best  possible  manner  for  digestion,  especially 
when  a  little  meal  is  sprinkled  over  it.  Of  all  roots,  how- 
ever, the  sugar  beet  is  preferable,  as  will  be  seen  by  the 
table,  which  is  univerally  sanctioned  by  experience.  It  is 
just  as  easily  raised  as  the  turnip,  and  is  much  easier  kept. 
Sheep  are  very  fond  of  it  too,  and  will  greedily  devour 
every  particle  of  it.  The  crop  properly  cultivated  will  yield 
from  600  to  1,000  bushels  per  acre. 

They  should  be  planted  as  soon  as  the  soil  can  be  put  in 
proper  condition  in  the  spring.  The  ground  requires  the 
same  preparation  as  to  thorough  tilth  as  for  turnips,  and 
should  be  mellow  and  well  manured.  After  proper  prepa- 
tion  it  should  be  thrown  up  into  ridges  with  a  turning  plow, 
and  if  possible  planted  with  a  seed-drill,  which  will  distrib- 
ute the  seeds  far  more  equally  than  can  be  done  by  hand,  as 
from  the  rough  nature  of  the  seed  it  is  difficult  to  sow  it 
by  hand  sowing.  Should  the  crop  come  up  unequal- 
ly, they  can  be  easily  thinned  out  and  re-set,  doing  just 
as  well  as  if  coming  up  from  seed.  The  transplanting 
should  take  place  after  a  rain,  when  the  ground  is  thor- 
oughly wet,  and  while  very  young.  Wring  off  the  most  of 
the  tops  before  planting,  and  every  one  will  live.  Leave 
them  about  eight  inches  apart  in  the  furrow,  and  they  will 


[105| 

grow  to  fill  up  the  spice.  They  grow  for  the  most  part  out 
of  the  ground,  so  that  but>  little  trouble  is  met  with  in  pull- 
ing them  from  the  banks.  They  should  be  put  up  in  hills, 
and  covered  just  as  directed  for  turnips,  unless  the  farmer 
should  be  blessed  with  a  root  cellar.  From  ten  to  twelve 
pounds  should  be  given  at  a  feed.  There  are  various  meth- 
ods of  feeding.  Some  farmers  prepare  the  food,  and  put 
enough  in  at  the  morning  feeding  time  to  last  all  day,  while 
others  keep  the  troughs  supplied  all  the  time,  only  replen- 
ishing when  the  supply  is  about  gone.  But  it  is  far  better 
to  feed  three  times  a  day  at  a  regular  hour,  and  only  give 
enough,  as  can  soon  be  ascertained  by  experience,  to  enable 
the  sheep  to  clean  the  troughs  at  each  feed.  When  more  is 
given  than  they  can  eat,  they  will  play  and  stamp  on  it, 
getting  it  so  defiled  they  will  not  enjoy  it,  arid  only  eating 
in  case  of  hunger.  Besides  fresh  food  stimulates  the  ap- 
petite so  that  they  will  eat  more  than  if  they  are  surfeited 
at  one  feed. 

"One  of  the  most  marked  advantages  of  the  South,"  says 
Mr.  John  L.  Hayes,  "  is  the  ability  to  grow  grasses  which 
may  be  pastured  in  winter.  Thus  the  cost  of  cutting  the 
grass  and  saving  the  hire  of  the  barn  for  storing  it,  and  the 
cost  of  feeding  it  out,  are  dispensed  with;  while  succulent 
food,  which  at  the  North  must  be  provided  for  by  storing 
roots  and  vegetables,  is  afforded  throughout  the  year.  By 
the  aid  of  winter  grasses  it  is  perfectly  practicable  through- 
out a  large  portion  of  the  South  to  raise  sheep  without  other 
cost  than  the  interest  on  the  land  and  the  value  of  the  salt. 
Oats,  barley  and  rye  sown  in  the  fall  may  be  grazed  during 
the  winter  without  injury  to  the  crop  of  grain,  as  is  fre- 
quently done;  but  they  must  be  sown  annually,  and  are  in- 
ferior to  permanent  grass  pastures.  The  meadow  oat, 
orchard  and  blue  grass,  with  wild  rye  or  Tyrrell  grass,  are 
chiefly  relied  on  for  permanent  winter-green  pasture." 

Mr.  Hayes  might  have  added  that  for  the  latitude  of 
Tennessee  winter  wheat  furnishes  more  good  grazing  for 


[106] 

sheep  than  any  other  grain.  A  farmer  who  habitually  sows 
one  hundred  acres  in  wheat  can  subsist  a  flock  of  fifty  sheep 
throughout  the  winter  without  any  injury  to  the  wheat.  In 
fact  experience  shows  that  a  wheat  field  very  forward  is 
greatly  benefitted  by  being  grazed  by  sheep.  It  checks  the 
growth,  and  secures  it  against  untimely  frosts  in  April  or 
May.  Throughout  the  wheat  growing  counties  of  Tennes- 
see nine- tenths  of  the  sheep  are  supplied  bountifully  with 
green  food  by  the  wheat  fields  alone,  and  are  kept  in  a 
thriving  condition.  In  a  record  kept  for  ten  years  by  the 
writer,  who  lives  on  the  northern  boundary  of  the  State,  it 
appears  that  it  has  been  necessary  to  feed  sheep  on  an  aver- 
age only  about  twenty  days  during  the  winter  months  where 
two  acres  of  wheat  to  the  sheep  have  been  sown. 

But  in  those  portions  of  the  State  where  but  a  small 
amount  of  wheat  is  sown,  it  is  necessary  to  feed  as  has  been 
directed  in  the  foregoing  part  of  this  chapter.  Especially 
is  this  the  case  in  the  elevated  or  mountainous  parts  of  the 
State.  The  greatest  difficulty  in  raising  sheep  in  the  wheat 
growing  sections  is  in  giving  timely  attention  to  lambs  in 
bad  weather.  When  dropped  in  the  open  fields,  especially 
during  wet  or  very  cold  weather,  many  of  them  perish  be- 
fore they  are  able  to  follow  the  ewes,  or  are  often  left  by  the 
ewes  where  dropped.  Attention  at  this  time  until  the  lambs 
are  strong  will  insure  a  rapid  increase  in  the  flock. 

Absolute  quiet  is  a  necessary  requisite  in  fattening  sheep. 
The  whole  flock  should  be  made  so  gentle  that  every  sheep 
will  lick  salt  or  take  food  from  the  flock-master's  hand.  No 
animal  is  more  easily  gentled  than  a  sheep,  and  none  thrive 
more  by  it.  If  dogs  are  allowed  to  go  near  them,  and  they 
are  continually  frightened,  they  will  become  so  demoralized 
they  will  actually  suffer  from  hunger  while  the  troughs  are 
full.  There  should  be  as  little  passing  through  the  lot  as 
possible,  and  they  should  have  perfect  repose.  In  a  condi- 
tion of  peace  they  will  thrive  apace,  and  in  six  or  eight 
weeks  will  be  well  fattened,  for  it  only  requires  a  short  time 


[107] 

under  favorable  circumstances  to  get  a  wether  in  prime 
order.  Confining  fattening  sheep  within  a  small  enclosure 
has  the  same  effect  as  it  does  with  all  other  domestic  animals, 
producing  a  torpor,  and  thus  promoting  the  taking  on  of 
flesh.  This  does  not  apply  however  to  stock  or  breeding 
sheep,  as  the  want  of  exercise  begets  a  plethora  in  a  ewe 
that  is  naturally  disposed  to  it  in  that  condition,  and  it  in- 
jures the  Iamb,  making  it  small  and  weak. 

Fattening  sheep  for  market  is  an  industry,  though  very 
common  in  the  vicinity  of  large  cities,  but  little  indulged  in 
through  this  section.  The  construction  of  railroads,  how- 
ever, has  made  it  a  business  that  can  be  profitably  carried 
on  as  well  here  as  elsewhere,  the  transportation  to  market 
being  fully  compensated  by  the  cheapness  of  the  necessary 
food.  Should  a  farmer  desire  to  engage  in  the  butiness  he 
should  devote  his  whole  energies,  time  and  attention  to  it. 
The  fattening*  sheep  should  be  kept  apart  from  the  stock 
sheep,  indeed  it  is  not  customary  for  one  engaged  in  thi& 
branch  to  devote  much  capital  to  the  rearing  of  sheep.  It 
now  and  then  happens  in  a  large  lot  that  some  are  of  neces- 
sity put  upon  pasturage  or  sold.  The  most  successful  men 
are  those  who  have  but  a  limited  area  of  land,  and  that  i& 
devoted  to  the  fattening  process  entirely. 

In  the  first  place  it  is  necessary  to  state  that  in  buying 
the  stock  the  money  is  made.  It  will  not  pay  to  buy  the 
common  native  sheep  for  that  purpose.  They  will  not  take 
on  flesh  properly,  and  besides  being  of  a  roving  disposition, 
the  confinement  necessary  for  fattening  is  irksome  to  them, 
and  they  will  trot  around  the  enclosure  bleating,  refusing  to 
eat,  until,  with  waste  and  spoiling,  the  food  is  rendered 
worthless.  Therefore  purchases  should  be  confined  to  grade 
sheep  of  either  Cotswold,  Southdown  or  Merino  crosses. 
The  two  first  named  are  excellent  varieties,  the  dark  faces 
of  the  Southdown  especially  are  very  attractive  to  a  butcher. 
The  Southdowns  make  a  fine  tender  mutton,  but  do  not  at- 
tain the  same  proportions  as  the  Cotswold.  It  is  no  unu- 


[108] 

sual  thing  to  find  sheep  of  this  breed  weighing  two  hundred 
to  two  hundred  and  fifty  pounds.  The  people  of  Tennessee 
are  but  little  accustomed  to  see  first-class  mutton,  such  as  is 
shown  upon  the  stalls  of  a  New  York  market,  and  conse- 
quently they  will  have  to  be  educated  to  pay  the  fancy 
prices  obtained  there.  It  is  no  unusual  thing  there  for  a 
farmer  to  get  8J  to  10  cents  per  pound,  while  here  with  our 
ordinary  wethers  we  are  content  to  receive  5  and  6  cents 
per  pound.  But  if  the  sheep  are  brought  to  the  same  con- 
dition here,  the  farmer  who  feeds  them  will  easily  get  a  fig- 
ure far  in  advance  of  any  of  the  ordinary  prices  now  paid. 
A  statement  of  Mr.  Jurian  Winne,  of  Albany  county,  New 
York,  in  regard  to  fattening  sheep,  in  the  Agricultural  De- 
partment of  the  Patent  Office,  for  the  year  1869,  will  give 
some  idea  to  our  Southern  farmers  of  how  the  thing  is  done 
better  than  a  long  description.  He  has  followed  it  for  years 
and  amassed  a  large  fortune  by  it.  In  this  'year  he  made 
but  a  small  profit,  from  the  fact  that  instead  of  buying  him- 
self, he  sent  out  agents,  and  they  paid  very  extravagant 
prices,  and  as  already  stated,  the  great  profit  lies  in  the  pur- 
chase of  the  stock.  The  extremely  heavy  snows  of  winter, 
or  rather  late  in  the  spring,  kept  him  feeding  longer  than 
necessary,  involving  a  considerable  loss  also.  Still  the  final 
result  is  very  satisfactory  when  we  consider  the  small  capi- 
tal invested.  Here  is  an  abstract  of  his  proceedings: 

585  coarse-wool  sheep  cost  him,  with  a  small  sum  paid  for 
pastures  while  gathering  them  up,  December  1st,  1869,  at 
$8.20  per  head $4,797  00 

He  sold  140  of  these  before  he  began  feeding  at  8£  cts.,  weight 

130  pounds  average 1,547  00 

Which  leaves  the  cost  of  445  sheep $3,250  00 

Feb.  14,  1870,  he  bought  180  fine-wool  sheep  at  $7.56  per  100 

pounds  weight— 18,580 1,424  65 

Total  cost  of  all  at  start $4,674  65 

EXPENDITURES. 

1,245  bushels  corn  at  $1.00 $1,245  00 

8  tons  mill  feed...  204  00 


[109] 

300  bushels  oats 150  00 

134  bushels  peas  and  oats 71  32 

60  bushels  barley 42  00 

Oil  meal 76  12 

40  tons  hay 320  00 

Salt 20  00 

Attendance — one  man 120  00 

Expense  of  selling 61  12 

Total $2,309  56 

This  amount,  $2,309  56,  added  to  cost 4,674  65 

Makes  a  total  for  the  fatted  sheep $6,984  21 

SALES   ACCOUNT. 

April  7,  1870 — 247  coarse-wool  sheep,  weight  37,860  pounds,  at 

9i  cts.net $3,502  05 

April  14, 1870—184  coarse-wool  sheep,  weight  28,320  pounds, 

at  9£c  net 2,690  40 

180  fine-wool  sheep,  weight  19,730  pounds,  at  9|c.  net 1,800  36 

2  sheep  with  lambs 20  00 

8  sheep  butchered  and  sold  85  00 

4  sheep  died — lost. 


Total  sales $8,097  81 

Net  profit,  besides  manure $1,113  60 

The  manure,  judiciously  used,  forms  DO  inconsiderable 
item  in  the  above  calculation.  In  this  case,  though  not  by 
any  means  a  fair  test,  the  owner  derived  a  profit  on  the 
whole  lot  of  about  $1.80  per  head,  but  on  the  fine  wool 
sheep  it  was  about  $2.47  per  head,  and  they  were  only  fed 
two  months.  In  the  above  case  it  may  be  observed  there 
was  no  stint  of  feed ;  on  the  contrary,  they  received  as  much 
again  as  would  be  necessary  in  our  milder  climate.  It  is 
true  the  proximity  to  a  large  and  favorable  market  caused 
a  big  price  to  be  received  for  them,  but  at  the  same  time 
here  the  sheep  could  have  been  bought  for  less  than  half 
the  price  paid,  and  the  provender  would  not  have  cost  more 
than  one-third  the  amount  it  cost  there.  On  the  whole,  the 
profit,  considering  the  duration  of  the  investment,  was  ex- 
tremely fair,  and  it  can  be  made  here  at  the  same  or  a  bet- 
ter ratio. 


[110] 

It  is  the  custom  of  many  feeders  to  buy  and  sell  contin- 
uously. They  keep  a  large  feeding  lot,  and  keep  a  buyer 
out  all  the  time,  and  every  few  days  the  flock  is  culled  of 
all  suitably  fat.  In  this  way  there  is  no  remission  of  buy- 
ing or  selling.  There  will  for  a  few  years  yet  be  some  dif- 
ficulty in  getting  the  sorts  most  profitable  for  fattening,  the 
grade  breeds,  but  that  is  gradually  being  overcome  as  the 
stock  of  sheep  is  being  rapidly  improved  throughout  the 
State.  There  are  in  almost  every  section  of  the  State  pub- 
lic-spirited men  who  devote  their  entire  energies  to  the  pro- 
duction of  full  blooded  sheep,  relying  for  their  profits  on 
retailing  here  and  there  a  ram  or  ewe,  and  sometimes  a  pair, 
to  their  less  enterprising  neighbors,  and  this  plan  is  fast 
improving  the  breeds  of  every  neighborhood.  In  fact,  only 
the  "barrens"  of  the  "rim"  and  the  mountain  lands  are 
wholly  given  up  to  the  unadulterated  native  sheep,  and 
from  these  counties  the  ewes  that  go  to  the  production  of 
grade  sheep  are  principally  derived.  The  time  is  not  far 
distant  when  the  long-legged,  naked-bellied  native  will  dis- 
appear from  our  State  altogether. 

There  is  yet  another  class  of  sheep- raisers,  who  follow  an 
entirely  different  system  for  profit,  and  inasmuch  as  they 
persist  in  it,  we  may  suppose  they  find  it  profitable.  They 
will  make  a  selection  of  as  many  ewes  as  their  farms  can 
accommodate,  in  August.  To  every  35  or  40  ewes  they 
will  add  a  good  Southdown  or  Cotswold  buck,  and  put  the 
ewes  to  them,  say  by  the  15th  of  August.  These  ewes  are 
kept  in  fine  condition  through  the  winter,  and  in  the  latter 
part  of  April  they  are  sheared.  The  wool  is  sold  as  one 
part  of  the  profit,  and  the  lambs  are  sold  off  in  the  latter 
part  of  May,  when  the  ewes  are  rapidly  fattened  and  sold 
to  the  butchers.  By  the  end  of  June  the  farmer  has  dis- 
posed of  his  entire  flock,  when  he  will  clean  up  his  lots, 
spread  his  manure,  and  in  a  month  is  ready  to  tread  again 
around  the  circle.  By  actual  demonstration,  the  following 
account  will  exhibit  the  profits  of  this  method  of  farming: 


[Ill] 


One  hundred  ewes  at  $2 $200  00 

Four  rams  at  $10 ,     40  00 


$240  00 

Average  price  of  80  lambs $240  00 

Four  hundred  pounds  wool  at  30  cts 120  00 

Four  rams  at  $10 40  00 

One  hundred  fat  sheep  at  $5 500  00 

$900  00 

The  manure  will  well  repay  the  attention  given  them, 
and  the  only  money  expense  attending  this  transaction  is 
the  food  necessary  to  be  used  during  the  hard  weather  of 
the  winter.  Those  who  follow  this  plan  usually  are  well 
supplied  with  blue- grass  pastures  and  the  food  raised  on  the 
place;  so  that,  in  selling  the  sheep,  they  really  are  only 
selling  their  crops  at  a  full  price,  as  well  as  utilizing  the 
grass  that  would  otherwise  be  lost.  It  may  be  objected 
that  no  deduction  is  made  for  incidental  loss  of  sheep;  but 
every  flock- master  will  testify  that  the  surplus  of  lambs 
over  80  per  cent  will  fully  compensate  for  all  losses,  unless 
the  farmer  is  criminally  negligent  and  suffers,  for  want  of 
proper  protection,  his  flocks  to  be  destroyed  by  dogs  and 
starvation.  Here  is  a  gross  profit,  on  an  investment  of 
$240,  of  $660,  and  estimating  the  feed,  over  and  above  the 
grass,  to  be  $1.50  a  head,  there  is  a  net  profit  of  $350. 
Remember,  too,  that  the  $300  go  into  his  own  pocket  for 
farm  produce,  and  we  cannot  think  of  anything  a  farmer 
can  raise  on  his  farm  that  will  surpass  this  small  invest- 
ment. By  taking  care  in  the  purchase,  he  can  often  get  the 
ewes  for  a  less  sum  than  here  stated,  and  I  am  sure  the 
prices  received  are  of  the  most  reasonable  character.  The 
earliest  lambs,  indeed,  rarely  sell  below  four  dollars  each, 
while  the  latest  ones,  provided  they  are  good  and  fat,  will 
bring  the  estimated  price,  $ 3.00.  So  this  must  be  taken  as 
a  fair  average  experiment. 

Another  gentleman  bought  25  ewes  in  August,  for  which 
lie  paid  $75.  In  the  following  May  he  sold  the  lams,  num- 


[112] 

her  not  stated,  for  $101.  In  May  he  sold  a  portion  of  the 
ewes  for  $98.70,  and  in  June  the  balance  for  $72.  He  got 
$60  for  the  wool.  Allowing  the  food  to  cost  fifty  cents  per 
head — and  it  did  not  exceed  this,  as  grass  was  almost  wholly 
used — and  a  net  profit  of  $244.20  was  realized. 

Summing  up  the  whole  subject,  it  may  safely  be  asserted 
that  in  its  various  branches,  whether  as  wool,  mutton  or 
lamb  sales,  there  is  no  branch  of  agriculture  that  offers 
greater  inducements  to  the  farmer  than  sheep  raising.  The 
sum  necessary  to  get  a  start  is  by  all  odds  less  than  in  any 
other  branch  of  stock-raising,  and  ito  returns  are  quicker. 
Not  only  does  it  remunerate  the  farmer  by  replenishing  his 
pocket,  but  it  replenishes  the  land.  The  dilapidated  condi- 
tion of  so  many  of  our  Tennessee  farms  strongly  points  to 
some  method  of  agriculture  that  will  arrest  the  great  waste 
of  soil  and  renew  the  lost  fertility.  This  method  is  feasible 
and  cheap.  I  do  not  intend  to  enter  into  a  long  disserta- 
tion as  to  the  profits  of  sheep-husbandry  in  general,  or  as 
to  its  value  in  Tennessee  in  particular,  being  content  to 
simply  give  the  most  approved  compendium  of  the  subject, 
tested  by  the  crucible  of  experience,  and  with  the  facts  here 
given  before  the  farmer  he  must  be  his  own  judge  as  to 
whether  or  not  he  will  engage  in  the  business.  There  is 
scarcely  any  person  raised  to  the  years  of  maturity  in  Ten- 
nessee who  has  not  had  more  or  less  experience  in  the  busi- 
ness, obtained  by  working  with  sheep  himself  or  observation 
on  the  farms  of  others.  This  experience,  however  small, 
will  render  him  a  fit  judge  of  the  profits  of  the  business. 
Should  he  have  any  doubts  about  it,  let  him  begin  on  a 
very  small  scale — it  is  better,  anyway,  to  do  it — and  then 
let  him  drive  the  business.  He  will  be  sufficiently  taught 
in  its  details  as  he  goes  to  avoid  any  serious  mistakes.  He 
may  expect  changes  and  variations  in  the  amount  of  remu- 
neration from  year  to  year,  but  no  such  slight  matter  should 
deter  him.  Let  his  mind  be  fully  made  up  before  entering 
the  business,  and  then  let  him  not  drop  off  at  the  appear- 


SOUTHDOWN  RAM. 


SOUTHDOWN  ETVE8. 


COTSWODD  RAM. 


(,'OTSWOLD  EWES. 


[113] 

ance  of  some  ignis  fatuus  that  promises  to  be  a  bonanza, 
but  with  eyes  steadily  fixed  upon  some  point  to  be  reached, 
strive  to  attain  it.  If  he  does  this,  and  uses  ordinary  fore- 
sight and  necessary  precautions  to  the  success  of  any  busi- 
ness, he  will  without  doubt  attain  it. 
8 


[114] 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE   MOST   POPULAR   BREEDS   IN   TENNESSEE. 
(See  answers  to  questions  in  Appendix.) 

Of  all  the  improved  varieties  the  Southdowns,  the  Cots- 
wolds,  and  the  Merino,  in  the  order  named,  are  the  most 
popular  with  the  breeders  of  Tennessee. 

SOUTHDOWNS. 

This  breed  has  existed  for  more  than  two  centuries  in 
England  on  a  range  of  chalky  hills  known  as  the  South 
Downs,  from  which  this  breed  derives  its  name.  As  late  as 
1775  but  little  progress  had  been  made  in  their  improve- 
ment, and  although  noted  somewhat  then  for  their  mutton 
qualities,  they  were  small  and  inferior  compared  with  the 
Southdowns  of  the  present  day.  They  are  an  upland  sheep, 
of  medium  size,  of  round  compact  form,  and  their  wool,  in 
point  of  length,  belongs  to  the  middle  class ;  it  is  deficient 
in  felting  properties,  makes  a  fuzzy,  hairy  cloth,  and  is  used 
by  manufacturers  in  making  worsteds.  The  average  weight 
of  fleece  is  from  three  to  four  pounds. 

This  breed  is  cultivated  more  especially  for  its  mutton 
qualities,  and  in  this  particular  they  take  precedence  of  all 
others.  They  mature  early,  are  industrious  feeders,  though 
not  much  disposed  to  roam,  and  they  take  on  fat  quickly 
and  evenly  over  the  entire  carcass.  They  are  prolific 
breeders,  and  good  mothers.  They  are  not  as  long  lived  as 
the  Merino,  and  like  most  all  other  breeds  their  fleece  de- 
oreases  in  weight  after  they  pass  maturity.  Thoroughbred 
rams  of  this  breed  are  exceedingly  valuable  to  cross  upon 
the  common  ewes  of  the  country,  and  it  is  estimated  by  com- 
petent and  experienced  breeders  that  the  lambs  from  this 


[115] 

cross  are  worth  from  seventy-five  cents  to  one  dollar  more 
per  head  than  lambs  of  same  age  by  a  common  ram. 

Of  the  three  varieties  mentioned  at  the  commencement 
of  this  chapter  the  Southdowns,  next  to  the  Merinos,  can 
best  adapt  themselves  to  any.  portion  of  the  State,  and  while 
they  are  an  upland  sheep,  and  will  thrive  to  perfection  on 
the  Table- lands,  they  will  do  equally  as  well  on  the  rich 
pastures  of  the  middle  and  western  portions  of  the  State, 
though  in  flocks  of  smaller  size.  They  are  growing  more 
rapidly  in  popular  favor  South  than  either  the  Cotswolds  or 
Merinos.  One  hundred  ewes  of  this  breed  will  have  one 
hundred  per  cent,  of  lambs,  the  twins  occurring  as  often  as 
barren  ewes. 

COTSWOLDS. 

This  breed  stands  first  of  all  others  for  the  excellence  and 
quality  of  the  fleece  for  combing  wool.  It  is  strong  and 
mellow,  of  good  color,  about  from  six  to  eight  inches  in 
length,  and  the  fleece  will  average  from  seven  to  nine 
pounds. 

The  Leicester  or  Bakewell  were  the  first  long-wooled 
sheep  introduced  into  the  State,  and  for  many  years  they 
were  unrivaled  in  popularity.  Their  fleece,  though  not 
quite  so  heavy  as 'the  Cotswolds  of  the  present  day,  was 
finer  in  texture.  They  could  not  compete  successfully,  how- 
ever, with  the  heavier  carcass,  as  well  as  fleece,  of  their 
more  hardy  rivals,  and  have  almost  entirely  disappeared 
from  the  State  to  make  room  for  the  Cotswolds. 

This  breed  do  not  rest  their  value  alone  upon  their  fleece, 
but  claim  much  merit  as  a  mutton  breed.  On  good  pas- 
tures the  matured  sheep  take  on  flesh  quickly,  but  do  not 
distribute  it  evenly  like  the  Southdowns,  but  pack  it  in 
"  patches  "  about  on  the  carcass,  neither  do  they  "  marble  " 
their  flesh  (distribute  the  fat  amongst  the  lean  meat)  like 
the  Southdowns. 

The  ewes  are  very  prolific  breeders,  and  generally  good 


[116] 

milkers.  The  lambs  are  large  framed  and  hardy,  and 
although  not  so  apt  to  fatten  from  the  start  as  Southdowns, 
they  are  considered  only  second  to  them  in  mutton  qualities. 
The  rams  from  this  breed  are  also  extensively  used  upon  the 
common  ewes  of  the  country  with  great  benefit.  No  breed 
will  make  a  more  marked  improvement  on  the  common 
sheep  than  a  Cotswold  ram  will  when  bred  to  scrub 
ewes.  The  first  cross  will  oftentimes  treble  the  weight 
of  fleece,  and  at  the  same  time  greatly  increase  the  size  and 
improve  the  form  of  the  native.  On  this  account  they  are 
in  great  demand  by  those  who  desire  to  combine  as  far  as 
practicable  both  fleece  and  mutton  qualities  in  their  flock. 
These  advantages  are  referred  to  further  on,  where  we  speak 
of  the  different  crosses  and  grades. 

The  Cotswolds  are  of  large,  heavy  frames,  long,  heavy 
fleece,  are  rather  unwieldy,  and  not  industrious  feeders. 
Hence  they  are  not  so  well  adapted  to  the  broken,  hilly  re- 
gions of  East  Tennessee,  nor  the  hot  sun  and  somewhat 
scant  pastures  of  the  southern  and  western  portion  of  the 
State.  They  must  have  level  pastures  and  a  frosty  climate 
to  give  the  best  results.  Much  can  be  done,  however,  by  a 
proper  system  of  breeding  and  acclimation.  Some  of  the 
best  results  with  Cotswolds  in  the  State  have  come  from  a 
continued  and  systimatic  course  of  breeding,  beginning 
with  the  common  scrub  ewes.  The  experiment  referred  to 
was  made  by  Col.  Tom  Crutchfield,  of  Hamilton  county, 
and  is  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work.  The  result  of 
his  experiment  is  that  with  only  several  removes  from  the 
scrub  ewe,  he  has  a  pure  bred  Cotswold  sheep,  heavy  fleece 
of  good  quality,  and  a  sheep  well  adapted  to  our  Southern 
climate  and  undulating  lands.  These  are  equally  as  prolific 
as  the  Southdowns. 

MERINOS. 

This  breed,  although  natives  of  a  warm  climate,  become 
inured  to  extreme  cold.  They  flourish  as  far  north  as 


[117] 

Sweden,  but  in  such  an  extremely  cold  climate  their  wool 
loses  much  of  the  fine  texture  that  characterizes  it  in  its 
warm  native  land.  This  is  the  oldest  breed  of  sheep  known 
and  most  widely  disseminated.  The  Merinos  are  the  longest 
lived  of  all  other  breeds,  and  instances  have  come  under 
our  own  observation  where  ewes  fourteen  years  old  would 
drop  fine  healthy  lambs  and  raise  them.  They  are  not  pro- 
lific breeders,  in  this  respect  not  equal  to  either  of  the  other 
varieties.  They  are  regular  breeders,  however,  until  seven 
or  eight  years  old.  Notwithstanding  the  longevity  of  the 
Merino,  and  the  excellent  health  that  is  characteristic  of 
this  <  breed,  the  lambs,  when  first  dropped,  appear  to  be 
weaker  and  more  delicate  than  those  of  any  other  breed. 
This  is  only  the  case,  however,  for  a  few  days,  after  which 
they  seem  at  once  to  inherit  the  characteristic  thrift  and 
hardiness  of  their  tribe,  and  the  percentage  of  loss  by  a 
disease  in  a  flock  of  Merinos,  after  the  lambs  are  two  or 
or  three  days  old,  is  far  less  than  that  of  any  other  breed  of 
sheep.  They  are  slow  at  arriving  at  maturity,  and  are  not 
considered  thoroughly  done  growing  until  they  are  three 
years  old.  This  renders  them,  necessarily,  the  least  desirable 
as  a  mutton  sheep,  although  they  are  by  no  means  inferior 
in  this  respect.  They  mature  slowly,  and  do  not  take  on 
fat  as  quickly  as  either  of  the  other  breeds;  but  after  having 
reached  maturity  they  fatten  kindly.  The  flesh  is  firm- 
grained,  and,  as  mutton,  is  juicy  and  well  flavored.  As  the 
Merino  is  the  oldest,  it  is  also  the  hardiest  of  all  other  im- 
proved breeds.  They  are  alike  thrifty  on  uplands  and  on 
flats,  in  cold  or  warm  climates,  and  on  scant  or  luxuriant 
pasture.  The  various  conditions  under  which  this  widely 
disseminated  family  of  sheep  are  bred,  change  to  some  ex- 
tent the  quality  and  quantity  of  their  fleece,  as  well  as  the  size 
of  carcass ;  but  under  all  circumstances,  and  in  the  various 
climates,  they  are  noted  for  their  fine  fleece  and  hardy  con- 
stitutions, enabling  them  to  herd  in  larger  numbers  than 
any  other  variety  without  detriment,  or  endangering  the 


[118] 

health  of  the  flock.  These  valuable  qualities  they  transmit 
to  their  offspring  to  a  great  extent,  and  for  this  reason  they 
are,  as  they  deserve  to  be,  the  most  valuable  to  cross  upon 
the  common  sheep  of  the  country.  About  eighty  per  cent, 
of  lambs  is  about  the  usual  average  for  the  ewes. 

Considering  the  fact  that  Spain  has  been  for  many  cen- 
turies the  fountain  head  whence  are  derived  the  full  blood 
of  the  Merino,  it  will  be  a  matter  of  interest  to  many  to 
read  the  subjoined  pages  from  the  report  of  D.  J.  Browne^ 
who  is  an  eminent  author  and  traveler,  and  who  wrote  this 
for  the  Agricultural  Bureau  at  Washington.  It  will  also  be 
a  suggestive  essay  on  sheep  raising  on  the  plateau  lands  of 
Tennessee ;  nearly  every  thing  done  there  can  be  done  in 
Tennessee.  To  those  who  design  following  the  business  on 
the  plateau  lands  the  following  is  especially  commended  : 

SHEEP   HUSBANDRY    IN   SPAIN. 

In  the  course  of  my  sojourn  in  Spain,  in  1833,  I  made  it 
a  point  to  visit  some  of  the  sheep-walks,  with  the  view  of 
procuring  such  information  from  the  shepherds  relative  to- 
the  management  of  the  Merino  as  could  be  drawn  from 
them.  The  result  of  those  inquires,  together  with  other 
facts  since  obtained,  are  embodied  in  the  following  paper, 
which  it  is  hoped  may  prove  of  service  to  some  of  those 
who  have  embarked  in  this  important  branch  of  rural 
economy.  D.  J.  B. 

"  In  Spain  there  are  at  present  two  domestic  breeds  of 
sheep,  which  differ  widely  from  one  another,  both  in  their 
habits  and  in  the  properties  of  their  wool.  One  kind  has, 
for  a  long  period,  existed  in  the  warmer  parts  of  that 
country,  and  is  known  by  their  long,  coarse,  hairy  wool; 
and  the  other,  which  migrates  every  spring  from  the  plains 
and  valleys  of  Andalusia,  Estremadura,  Murcia,  Valencia, 
and  Catalonia,  to  the  cool  mountains  of  Old  Castile  and 
Arragon,  where  they  pass  the  summer,  and  return  again  in 


[119] 

autumn  to  feed  during  winter  on  the  warm  plains  below. 
The  latter,  which  includes  the  pure  Merino,  are  distinguished 
from  the  common  sheep  by  a  loose  skin  hanging  from  their 
necks,  and  in  having  wool  on  their  foreheads  and  cheeks, 
and  frequently  down  their  legs  nearly  to  their  hoofs.  The 
horns  of  the  males  are  very  large  and  ponderous,  and  are 
usually  rolled  laterally,  one  part  over  another.  Their  wool 
is  long,  fine,  and  soft,  and  is  twisted  into  glossy  spiral 
ringlets.  It  naturally  contains  a  large  proportion  of  oil, 
to  which  dust  and  other  impurities  adhere,  and  give  to  the 
animals  a  dingy  and  unclean  appearance,  that  conveys  to 
the  casual  observer  an  idea  of  inferiority,  but  on  parting  it' 
all  doubts  are  immediately  removed,  when  its  unsullied 
purity  and  fineness  are  brought  to  view.  There  also  exist 
in  Spain  several  intermediate  breeds,  among  which  are  the 
Pyrenean  races,  with  remarkably  fine  wool,  and  somewhat 
resembling  that  on  the  South  Downs  of  England.  In 
general  they  are  polled,  but  some  have  horns,  which  turn 
behind  the  ears,  and  in  the  males  project  forward  half  a 
circle.  Their  legs,  which  are  short,  are  white  or  reddish ; 
their  faces  speckled,  and  in  some  a  small  tuft  of  wool  grows 
on  their  foreheads.  Their  color  varies  from  white  to  a  red- 
dish yellow,  and  in  a  few  instances  they  are  entirely  black. 
There  is  also  another  race  in  Biscay,  which  have  from  four 
to  six  horns,  but  they  are  not  of  the  fine  wooled  variety. 

"  The  example  of  Columella,  of  importing  African  rams,, 
was  repeated  by  Don  Pedro,  King  of  Arragon,  in  the  early 
part  of  the  thirteenth  century,  and  afterwards  by  Cardinal 
Ximenes,  prime  minister  of  Spain  ;  and  to  that  epoch  is  to 
be  ascribed  the  superiority  of  Merino  wool  over  that  of  all 
other  domestic  breeds.  With  regard  to  the  cause  of  this 
superiority,  some  impute  it  to  the  sheep  passing  their  lives 
in  the  open  air,  in  a  dry  and  equable  climate ;  others  to  the 
nature  of  the  soil  and  vegetation  upon  which  they  feed,  and 
to  their  migrating  semi-annually  from  one  part  of  the 
country  to  another;  and  a  third  class,  to  the  peculiar  man- 


[120] 

ner  of  smearing  their  backs  at  a  certain  period,  a  process 
hereafter  to  be  described ;  but  it  is  most  probable  that  they 
do  not  so  much  owe  the  fineness  and  quality  of  their  wool 
to  the  reasons  above  assigned,  as  to  the  uniform,  systematic, 
and  unceasing  care  with  which  they  are  managed  through 
every  stage  of  their  existence,  and  the  pure,  unmixed,  and 
isolated  condition  in  which  each  flock  is  kept  from  genera- 
tion to  generation.  For  it  appears  as  a  matter  of  certainty 
that  the  sole  design  of  removing  these  sheep  from  one  dis- 
trict to  another  is  to  feed ;  and  it  is  equally  certain  that 
these  journeys  never  would  be  undertaken  if  a  sufficiency 
of  good  pasturage  could  be  found  in  one  place  during  the 
year;  and,  besides,  it  is  a  noted  fact  that  there  are  station- 
ary flocks  in  the  plains  of  Estremadura,  where  frost  is  sel- 
dom seen,  and  about  the  mountains  of  Old  Castile,  where 
snow  often  falls  in  June,  both  of  which  produce  wool  of  an 
equal  degree  of  fineness  to  that  of  the  itinerant  flocks  that 
change  their  quarters  every  six  months.  It  has  been  as- 
serted, and  believed  by  some,  although  controverted  by 
several  well-informed  persons,  that  regions  abounding  in 
aromatic  plants  are  more  favorable  to  the  health  of  sheep, 
and,  consequently,  to  the  fineness  of  their  wool,  than  those 
entirely  destitute  of  such  plants.  Two  instances,  well  sup- 
ported, will,  perhaps,  be  sufficient  to  refute  this  opinion. 
The  territory  of  Montana,  in  Old  Castile,  is  one  of  the  most 
elevated  tracts  in  Spain,  where  the  neighboring  mountains 
rise  in  the  atmosphere  to  a  line  of  perpetual  snow.  Its 
hills  consist  of  sandstone,  covered  with  a  deep  clayey  soil; 
black  marble,  marked  with  white  and  yellow  veins;  grey 
limestone,  containing  marine  petrifactions,  talc,  gypsum,  and 
numerous  saline  springs;  and  in  the  plains  and  valleys 
emery  abounds,  both  occurring  in  large  blocks  and  incorpo- 
rated in  the  soil.  The  soils  of  the  mountains  and  hills  are 
noted  as  being  of  a  similar  composition  with  the  rocks  be- 
neath them ;  and  experience  has  taught  the  Spanish  farmers 
that  the  sod  which  covers  the  limestone  districts  is  best 


[121] 

adapted  to  the  growth  of  wheat  and  maize;  that  the  clayey 
soil  lying  upon  the  sandstone  is  stiff  and  difficult  to  till,  and 
that  the  intermediate  soils,  resting  upon  mixed  formations, 
are  not  very  productive  without  the  application  of  manure. 
The  hills  and  plains  of  this  region,  which  are  destitute  of 
aromatic  plants,  afford  the  finest  of  pasturage  to  numerous 
herds  of  sheep,  cows,  and  horses,  the  latter  two  of  which 
are  fed  on  hay  during  the  winter  months,  a  very  rare  cir- 
cumstance to  occur  in  any  part  of  Spain  or  the  south  of 
Europe  generally.  The  other  instance  referred  to  is  the 
territory  adjacent  to  the  town  of  Molina,  in  Arragon,  which 
abounds  in  aromatic  and  odoriferous  plants,  and  is  cele- 
brated for  its  good  pasturage  and  fine  flocks,  yet  their  wool 
is  of  no  better  quality  than  that  of  the  sheep  of  Montana, 
where  no  aromatic  plants  are  to  be  found.  The  hills  and 
mountains  about  Molina  are  composed  of  red  and  grev 
sandstone,  limestone,  gypsum  of  various  colors  and  stages 
of  decomposition,  dark  and  light-colored  granite,  intersected 
by  numerous  veins  of  lead,  iron,  and  copper,  the  latter  of 
which  contains  silver,  sulphur,  and  arsenic;  and  all  the  sur- 
rounding country  is  rich  in  springs,  from  which  large  quan- 
tities of  salt  are  annually  made.  Without  digressing 
further  from  the  subject,  it  may  not  be  improper  tw  state 
that  the  pastures  of  Spain  are  generally  prolific  in  sweet 
grasses  suitable  for  grazing,  several  of  which  are  indigenous ; 
and  others  have  been  introduced  from  northern  Africa,  the 
East,  and  other  parts  of  Europe. 

"That  the  quality  of  wool  depends  much  upon  climate 
there  can  be  no  doubt,  for  it  is  a  well  established  law  that 
the  wool  of  sheep,  in  the  torrid  zone,  degenerates  into  a 
species  of  hair;  and  in  very  cold,  rigid  ones,  though  fine 
near  the  roots,  it  becomes  coarse  toward  the  ends.  Hence, 
it  is  only  in  temperate  latitudes  where  wool  approaches  to  a 
state  of  perfection;  and  its  fineness  in  the  Merinos,  doubt- 
less, is  owing,  in  a  great  measure,  to  their  being  able  to  pass 
their  lives  in  the  open  air,  free  from  the  extremes  of  heat, 


[122] 

cold,  and  moisture,  common  to  some  countries,  and  where 
their  unobstructed  but  less  abundant  perspiration  is  allowed 
to  be  swept  away  as  fast  as  it  flows.  It  is  a  remarkable 
fact,  that  all  the  sheep  in  Spain,  which  constantly  live  in  the 
open  air,  perpetuate  their  color  and  other  properties  to  their 
progeny;  and  it  is  equally  remarkable  that  the  swine  of 
that  country,  which  run  wild  in  the  woods,  are  invariably 
clothed  in  fine,  curly,  black  hair;  and  hence  the  Spanish 
proverb,  '  Never  did  a  Spanish  hog's  bristle  pierce  a 
shoe.' 

"  Classification  of  the  sheep,  and  laws  regulating  the 
flocks. — The  fine  wooled  flocks  of  Spain,  in  the  language 
of  that  country,  are  called  ( trashumantes/  or  traveling 
sheep,  in  contradistinction  to  the  '  estantes/  or  those  which 
are  stationary.  The  former,  let  it  be  recollected,  migrate 
every  spring  from  the  warm  plains  and  valleys  of  the  south, 
to  the  cool,  mountainous  regions  of  the  north,  where  they 
pass  the  summer,  and  return  again  in  autumn  to  pass  the 
winter  below.  It  is  obvious  that  migrations  of  so  frequent 
occurrence,  and  to  so  great  an  extent,  would  necessarily  re- 
quire some  fixed  regulations.  Hence,  a  great  number  of 
ordinances,  penal  laws,  privileges,  and  immunities  were  en- 
acted, or  so  set  forth  in  different  reigns,  for  the  preservation 
and  special  government  of  these  sheep;  and  hence  the  origin 
of  the  ruinous  privileges  of  the  '  mesta.'  This  was  an  as- 
sociation of  proprietors  of  large  flocks,  consisting  of  rich, 
religious  communities,  grandees  of  Spain,  and  opulent  indi- 
viduals with  hereditary  rights,  who  fed  their  sheep  at  public 
expense  during  every  season  of  the  year,  which  eventually 
gave  rise  to  a  custom  first  established  by  necessity.  The 
mountains  of  Saria  and  Segovia,  condemned  to  sterility  by 
the  climate,  soil,  and  the  steepness  of  their  sides,  were  for- 
merly the  asylum  of  some  neighboring  flocks.  At  the  ap- 
proach of  winter  the  place  was  no  longer  tenable.  The 
sheep  sought  in  the  neighboring  plains  more  temperate  air. 
Their  masters  soon  changed  this  permission  into  a  right,  and 


[123] 

united  themselves  into  an  association  which,  in  time,  be- 
came augmented  by  the  addition  of  others  who,  having  ob- 
tained flocks,  were  desirous  of  enjoying  the  same  privileges. 
The  theater  was  extended  in  proportion  as  the  actors  be- 
came more  numerous ;  and,  by  degrees,  the  periodical  ex- 
cursions of  the  flocks  were  extended  to  the  plains  of  Estre- 
madura,  where  the  climate  was  more  temperate  and  pastur- 
age plenty. 

"  The  mesta  requires  the  parts  of  the  country  where  the 
sheep  are  pastured  to  be  set  off  in  divisions,  separated  from 
each  other  only  by  landmarks — fences,  or  other  kinds  of 
enclosure,  being  deemed  unnecessary,  as  the  flocks  are  con- 
stantly attended  by  shepherds  and  dogs.  Each  of  these 
divisions  is  called  a  e  dehesa,'  and  must  be  of  a  size  capable 
of  maintaining  about  one  thousand  sheep  in  the  grazing 
stations  of  the  north,  and  a  greater  number  in  those  of  the 
south,  where  the  lambs  are  yeaned  and  reared.  Every  pro- 
prietor must  possess  as  many  dehesas  in^each  province  as 
will  maintain  his  flock,  which,  in  the  aggregate,  is  called  a 
4  cavana/  and  is  divided  into  as  many  subdivisions,  or 
tribes,  as  there  are  thousands  of  sheep  contained  in  it. 
Each  cavana  is  governed  by  an  officer  called  '  mayoral/  or 
chief  shepherd.  For  each  subdivision  of  a  thousand  sheep 
there  is  allowed  five  under  shepherds  and  five  dogs.  The 
chief  shepherd  is  required  to  be  the  owner  of  four  or  five 
hundred  sheep,  must  be  strong,  active,  vigilant,  intelligent,, 
and  well  skilled  in  everything  that  relates  to  his  flock.  He 
has  absolute  control  over  fifty  shepherds  and  as  many  dogs, 
whom  he  chooses,  chastises,  or  discharges  at  will.  Some  of 
the  inferior  shepherds  assume  the  title  of  '  rabadan/  or 
'  zagal,'  whose  duty  it  is  to  exercise  a  general  superintend- 
ence over  his  tribe,  under  the  direction  of  the  mayoral;  also 
to  prescribe  and  administer  medicines  to  the  sick  and 
maimed.  At  the  period  of  travailing,  and  when  the  ewes 
are  giving  birth  to  their  young,  two  or  more  extra  hands 
are  allowed  to  every  tribe ;  and  in  time  of  shearing  one 


[124] 

hundred  and  twenty- five  shearers  are  required  to  a  flock  of 
ten  thousand  sheep. 

aOn  the  propriety  of  law  and  order  in  conducting  these 
flocks  there  can  be  no  doubt,  but  great  exception  is  made  to 
several  enactments  in  force,  and  a  continued  struggle  has 
long  existed  between  the  company  of  the  mesta  on  one  part, 
and  the  lovers  of  public  good  on  the  other.  No  land  that 
has  once  been  occupied  for  grazing  can  be  tilled  before  it  is 
offered  to  the  mesta  at  a  certain  rate.  Long  green  roads, 
leading  from  one  district  to  another,  at  least  two  hundred 
and  fifty  feet  wide,  are  required  to  be  kept  open,  as  well  as 
extensive  resting  places,  where  the  sheep  are  fed  and  sheared. 
So  rigid  is  the  law  on  this  point,  that,  during  the  periods  of 
migration,  no  person,  not  even  a  foot  passenger,  is  allowed 
to  travel  on  these  roads,  unless  he  belongs  to  a  flock.  These 
passages  must  unavoidedly  cross  many  cultivated  spots,  such 
as  corn-fields,  vineyards,  olive  orchards,  and  pasture  lands 
common  to  towns;  the  evils  and  inconveniences  of  which  are 
obvious  and  need  no  comment.  All  questions  and  difficul- 
ties between  the  shepherds  and  the  occupants  of  the  lands 
through  which  the  roads  are  suffered  to  pass  are  decided  by 
special  courts  that  perform  a  kind  of  circuit,  and  sit  at  stated 
periods  to  hear  and  decide. 

"  The  Shepherds — The  salary  of  the  chief  shepherd  does 
not  exceed  two  hundred  dollars  a  year  and  a  horse;  that  of 
the  first  under-shepherd  of  a  tribe,  ten  dollars  a  year;  the 
second,  seven  dollars;  the  third,  five;  the  fourth,  three; 
and  the  fifth,  a  boy,  two  dollars  a  year.  The  ration  of  each 
is  two  pounds  of  bread  a  day,  with  the  privilege  of  keeping 
a  few  goats  in  the  flock  for  their  milk.  They  are  also  enti- 
tled to  the*skins  and  carcasses  of  the  culled  sheep  and  lambs, 
and  each  receives  from  the  chief  shepherd  a  'regalito7  of 
three-fourths  of  a  dollar  in  April  and  October,  and  these 
are  all  the  sweets  that  these  poor  wretches  enjoy,  with  the 
exception  of  about  a  month  in  a  year,  which  each  takes  in 
his  turn,  to  visit  his  family  or  friends.  They  are  exposed 


[125] 

the  rest  of  the  time  to  all  the  vicissitudes  of  the  weather, 
and  at  night  have  to  lie  in  miserable  huts  formed  of  stakes, 
brambles  or  branches  of  trees,  and  often  sleep,  as  they  term 
it,  de  abaxo  las  estrellas — under  the  stars. 

11  Mode  of  giving  Salt  to  the  Sheep. — The  first  thing  the  shep- 
herd does  when  his  flock  returns  from  the  south  to  their 
summer  downs,  or  pastures,  is  to  give  them  as  much  salt  as 
they  will  eat.  Every  owner  allows  to  each  tribe  of  a  thou- 
sand sheep  twenty- five  quintals  of  salt,  (2,500  pounds,) 
which  they  consume  in  about  five  months.  They  eat  none 
in  their  journeys,  nor  are  they  allowed  any  in  winter,  for  it 
is  a  prevailing  opinion  that  it  produces  abortion  when  given 
to  ewes  forward  with  young.  This  has  ever  been  the  cus- 
tom, and  is  thought  to  be  the  true  reason  why  the  kings  of 
Spain  could  never  raise  the  price  of  salt  to  the  height  it  has 
maintained  in  most  parts  of  France;  for  it  would  tempt  the 
shepherds  to  stint  the  sheep,  which,  it  is  believed,  would 
weaken  their  constitutions  and  deteriorate  their  wool.  The 
shepherd  places  fifty  or  sixty  flat  stones  at  the  distance  of 
about  five  paces  apart,  strews  salt  upon  each,  leads  the  sheep 
slowly  among  them,  and  every  one  is  allowed  to  eat  of  it  at 
pleasure.  But  when  they  are  feeding  on  limestone  land, 
whether  it  be  on  the  grass  of  the  downs,  or  on  the  little 
plants  of  the  corn-fields  after  harvest-home,  they  eat  no  salt; 
and  if  they  meet  a  spot  of  a  mixed  formation,  they  are  said 
to  partake  of  it  in  proportion  as  the  soil  is  mingled  with 
clay.  The  shepherd  being  aware  that  his  sheep  will  suffer  if 
deprived  of  salt,  leads  them  to  a  clayey  soil,  and,  in  a  quar- 
ter of  an  hour's  feeding,  they  march  to  the  stones  and  devour 
whatever  they  need. 

"  Caution  in  allowing  the  Sheep  to  imbibe  Frost  or  Snow. — 
One  of  the  shepherd's  chief  cares  is  not  to  suffer  his  sheep 
to  imbibe,  in  the  morning,  the  frozen  dew  or  melted  frost, 
and  never  to  approach  a  pond  or  stream  after  a  shower  of 
hail.  For,  if  they  should  eat  the  dewy  grass,  or  drink  the 
melted  hail,  the  whole  tribe,  it  is  believed,  would  become 


[126] 

Depressed  in  spirits,  lose  their  appetites,  pine  away,  and  die, 
as  often  has  happened.  Hail  water  is  also  so  pernicious  to 
man,  in  that  climate,  that  the  people  have  learned,  by  expe- 
rience, not  to  drink  from  a  rivulet  or  stream  until  some  time 
after  a  violent  storm  of  hail. 

"  Disposal  of  the  Males. — On  the  last  of  July,  six  or  seven 
rams  are  permitted  to  run  with  every  hundred  ewes,  and 
when  the  shepherd  judges  they  are  properly  served,  he  col- 
lects the  former  into  a  separate  tribe,  to  feed  by  themselves. 
There  is  also  another  tribe  of  rams,  which  feed  apart,  and 
never  serve  the  ewes  at  all,  but  are  merely  kept  for  the 
butchery,  or  for  their  wool.  Although  the  wool  and  flesh 
of  wethers  are  finer  and  more  delicate  than  those  of  rams, 
the  fleeces  of  the  latter  weigh  more,  and  the  animals  are 
longer  lived.  The  longevity  of  the  sheep  also  depends  upon 
the  perfection  of  their  teeth,  for,  when  these  fail,  they  cannot 
bite  the  grass,  and  are  condemned  to  the  knife.  The  teeth 
of  the  ewes,  from  their  tender  constitution  and  the  fatigues 
of  breeding,  usually  begin  to  fail  at  the  age  of  five  years — 
the  wethers  at  six — and  the  robust  rams  not  until  they  are 
nearly  eight  years  of  age. 

"Smearing  the  Sheep. — Towards  the  close  of  September 
the  shepherd  performs  the  operation  of  smearing  the  sheep 
with  a  heavy,  irony  earth,  common  in  Spain.  It  is  first 
mixed  with  water,  and  then  daubed  on  their  backs,  from  the 
neck  to  the  rump.  Some  say  it  mingles  with  the  oil  of  the 
wool,  and  thus  becomes  a  varnish  impenetrable  to  the  cold 
and  rain ;  others,  that  its  weight  keeps  the  wool  down,  and 
prevents  it  from  growing  long  and  coarse ;  and  a  third  class, 
that  it  acts  as  an  absorbent,  and  receives  a  part  of  the  per- 
spiration, which  would  otherwise  foul  the  wool  and  render 
it  rough.  Be  this  as  it  may,  it  is  a  custom  of  long  standing, 
and  probably  is  useful  both  to  the  fleece  and  to  the  animal 
which  carries  it,  and  answers  the  purpose  of  destroying 
vermin. 

"Return  of  the  Sheep  to  Winter  Quarters. — At  the  end  of 


[127] 

September  the  sheep  commence  their  journeys  towards  the 
lower  plains,  their  itineraries  being  marked  out  by  imme- 
morial custom,  and  are  as  well  regulated  as  a  march  of 
troops.  Each  tribe  is  usually  led  by  six  tame  wethers, 
called  '  mausos/  which  are  obedient  to  the  voices  of  the 
shepherds,  who  frequently  give  them  small  pieces  of  bread 
to  encourage  them  along.  The  sheep  feed  freely  in  all  the 
wilds  and  commons  through  which  they  pass,  and  often  the 
poor  creatures  travel  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  a  day  through 
the  crowded  lanes  to  get  into  the  open  wilds,  where  the 
shepherd  walks  slow  to  let  them  feed  at  ease  and  rest ;  but 
they  never  stop,  have  no  day  of  repose,  and  march  two  or 
three  leagues  a  day,  ever  following  the  shepherd,  always 
feeding  or  seeking  with  their  heads  toward  the  ground,  till 
they  arrive  at  their  journey's  end.  The  chief  shepherd  is 
cautious  to  see  that  each  tribe  is  conducted  to  the  same  dis- 
trict in  which  it  fed  the  winter  before,  and  where  the  sheep 
were  yeaned,  for  it  is  thought  to  prevent  a  variation  in  the 
wool,  though,  indeed,  this  requires  but  little  care,  as  it  is  a 
notorious  truth  that  the  sheep  would  go  to  that  very  spot  of 
their  own  accord,  although  the  distance  is  sometimes  full 
one  hundred  and  fifty  leagues,  which  cannot  be  traveled  in 
much  less  than  forty  days. 

"  The  first  thing  to  be  done  after  the  sheep  return  to  their 
winter  plains,  is  to  prepare  the  ' toils'  in  which  they  are  to 
pass  their  nights,  lest  they  should  stray  away  and  fall  into 
the  jaws  of  the  wolves.  The  'rediles/  or  toils,  consist  of 
enclosures  of  net-work,  with  meshes  a  foot  in  width,  and  of 
the  thickness  of  the  finger,  made  of  a  species  of  rush  called 
4  esparto'  (Lygeum  Spartum.)  This  plant  is  also  much  used 
in  the  south  of  France  and  Spain  ior  making  ropes,  mats, 
baskets,  etc.,  and  was  also  employed  for  similar  purposes  by 
the  ancient  Romans. 

"  Yeaning  and  Management  of  the  Lambs. — About  the  end 
of  December  the  ewes  begin  to  bring  forth  their  young, 
which  is  the  most  toilsome  and  the  most  solicitous  period  of 


[128] 

the  pastoral  life.  The  shepherds  first  separate  the  pregnant 
from  the  barren  ewes,  and  conduct  them  to  the  best  shelter, 
and  the  others  to  the  bleaker  parts  of  the  district.  As  the 
lambs  are  yeaned,  they  are  led  apart  with  their  dams  to  a 
more  comfortable  place.  A  third  division  is  made  of  the 
lambs  last  brought  forth,  for  which  was  allotted  from  the 
beginning  the  most  fertile  spot,  of  the  sweetest  feed,  and  the 
best  shelter,  in  order  that  they  may  grow  with  as  much 
vigor  as  those  first  yeaned;  for  they  must  all  set  off  the 
same  day  in  spring  towards  their  summer  quarters. 

"It  is  the  interest  of  a  proprietor  to  increase  his  flock  to 
as  large  a  number  as  the  land  allotted  to  it  can  possibly 
maintain;  in  consequence  of  which  the  sheep  are  always 
low  kept.  When  a  flock  has  arrived  at  that  point,  all  fur- 
ther increase  is  useless,  as  there  is  but  little  sale  for  these 
sheep,  unless  some  neighboring  cavana  has  been  reduced  by 
mortality.  Hence  most  of  the  lambs  are  killed  as  soon  as 
they  are  yeaned,  and  each  of  those  preserved  is  allowed  to 
suck  two  or  three  ewes. 

uln  the  month  of  March  the  shepherds  perform  four 
operations  on  the  lambs  about  the  same  time.  They  first  cut 
off  their  tails  five  inches  below  the  rump,  in  order  to  pre- 
serve cleanliness;  they  next  brand  them  on  the  nose  with  a 
hot  iron,  making  a  permanent  mark  or  character  indicating 
the  flock  to  which  they  belong;  and  then  saw  off  a  portion 
of  their  horns  to  prevent  the  rams  from  hurting  one  another, 
or  the  ewes.  The  fourth  operation  is  to  render  impotent 
the  lambs  destined  for  docile  bell-wethers,  to  walk  at  the 
head  of  each  tribe.  This  is  not  done  by  making  an  incision, 
as  with  us,  but  by  turning  the  testicles  with  the  fingers 
twenty  times  round  in  the  scrotum,  twisting  the  spermatic 
cords  as  a  rope,  and  the  parts  wither  away  without  danger. 

"Migration  of  the  Sheep  to  their  Summer  Retreats. — As 
soon  as  the  month  of  April  arrives,  which  is  the  period  of 
departure -from  the  winter  to  the  summer  quarters,  the  sheep 
manifest,  by  various  uneasy  motions,  a  remarkable  restless- 


[1291 

ness  and  a  strong  desire  to  be  off.  At  this  time,  it  is  neces- 
sary that  the  utmost  vigilance  should  be  exercised,  lest  the 
sheep  should  escape,  as  it  has  often  happened  that  a  tribe 
has  stolen  a  forced  march  of  three  or  four  leagues  upon  a 
sleepy  shepherd ;  but  he  is  sure  to  find  them  by  pursuing 
the  same  road  over  which  they  came  the  autumn  before,  and 
there  are  numerous  instances  of  three  or  four  strayed  sheep 
walking  a  hundred  leagues  to  the  very  pastures  where  they 
fed  the  preceding  year.  Thus  they  all  go  off  towards  their 
summer  retreats  in  the  same  order  as  they  came,  only  with 
this  difference — the  flocks  which  migrate  to  Old  Castile  are 
shorn  on  the  road,  and  those  which  go  to  Arragon  are  shorn 
at  their  journey's  end. 

"  Shearing  of  the  Sheep. — The  season  for  sheep-shearing  in 
Spain,  like  the  harvest  and  the  vintage  in  corn  and  wine 
countries,  is  a  time  of  great  festivity  and  rejoicing,  both  to 
the  proprietor  and  the  workmen.  A  multitude  of  shearers, 
washers,  and  other  attendants  are  fed  upon  the  flesh  of  the 
culled  sheep,  and  it  would  seem  that  the  slaughter  occasioned 
by  this  season  of  feasting  would  be  sufficient  to  consume  the 
whole  flock. 

"The  operation  of  shearing  commences  on  the  first  of 
May,  provided  the  weather  be  fair ;  for  if  the  wool  be  not 
quite  dry,  the  fleeces,  which  are  closely  piled  upon  one  an- 
other as  soon  as  they  are  taken  off,  would  ferment  and  rot. 
It  is  for  this  reason  that  the  business  is  performed  in  large 
spacious  buildings  called  'esquileos/  which  are  usually  so 
arranged  as  to  receive  entire  flocks  of  twenty,  forty,  and  even 
sixty  thousand  sheep,  and,  besides,  the  constitutions  of  the 
ewes  are  such  that  if  they  were  exposed  immediately  after 
shearing  to  the  air  of  a  bleak,  stormy  night,  they  would  all 
perish." 

We  have  only  mentioned  Southdown,  Cotswold  and  Me- 
rinos as  the  three  most  popular  breeds  in  Tennessee.     They 
and  their  produce  constitute  nine-tenths  of  the  sheep  in  the 
9 


[130] 


State  outside  of  the  common  natives  or  scrubs.  There  are 
yet  a  few  descendants  of  the  Leicester,  and  some  Shropshire 
Downs.  The  former  are  fast  disappearing,  and  the  latter 
have  not  proved  as  profitable  with  us  as  they  have  in  Eng- 
land, or  even  in  some  of  the  Northern  States.  They  re- 
semble the  Southdowns  very  much  in  appearance,  with 
face  and  legs,  larger  carcass  and  heavier  coats  of  wool  of 
longer  staple.  Like  most  of  the  Downs  families,  they  are 
good  mutton  sheep,  but  they  are  more  ragged  in  form  and 
do  not  fatten  as  quickly  as  the  Southdowns.  It  is  claimed 
however  by  the  breeders  of  Shropshires  that  the  increased 
weight  of  fleece  more  than  compensates  for  the  superior 
qualities  of  the  Southdowns  for  mutton.  As  stated  above, 
Shropshires  have  not  proven  sufficiently  profitable  in  this 
State,  as  compared  with  the  other  breeds  we  have  mentioned, 
although  they  have  been  in  the  hands  of  skillful  and  expe- 
rienced breeders,  to  create  a  demand  for  them,  either  to 
breed  as  thoroughbreds  or  to  cross  upon  the  common  sheep. 


[131] 
CHAPTER  VIII. 

CROSS   BREEDS    AND   GRADES. 

When  it  is  desired  to  improve  the  standard  of  one's  flock, 
or  to  change  the  breed  altogether,  the  greatest  care  should 
be  observed  to  procure  rams  of  the  breed    wished,  of  the 
very  choicest  quality,  regardless  of  the  first  cost.     A  Merino, 
or  even  a  scrub  sheep,  may  be  converted  into   an  almost 
pure-blooded  Southdown  or  Cotswold  by  judicious  manage- 
ment.    A  grown  ram  will  serve  from  thirty  to  forty  ewes 
in  a  season,  if  properly  managed.     A  good  Merino  ram 
will  add   more  than  one  pound  of  wool  to  the  fleece  of 
every   lamb   got   by    him    from   a   common    ewe.      Here 
is  30  or  40  pounds  of  wool  for  the  use  of  a  ram  for  one 
season,  to  say  nothing  of  the  other  valuable  qualities,  and 
«very  lamb  subsequently  got  by  him  adds  a  pound  to  this 
amount.     Many  a  ram   gets  during  his  life  800  to  1,000 
lambs.     This  gives  the  breeder,  in  addition  to  the  wool, 
from  800  to  1,000  half- blooded  sheep,  worth  double  their 
dams,  and  ready  to  be  made  the  basis  of  another  and  higher 
stride  in  improvement. 

Farmers  frequently  experiment  in  breeding  for  their  own 
satisfaction  by  mixing  or  crossing  two  different  varieties; 
this  is  done  in  attempting  to  establish  a  new  breed  or  va- 
riety, or  more  often  to  supply  some  demand  for  a  special 
quality  of  wool  or  mutton.  The  results  of  such  experi- 
ments, if  made  with  two  varieties  of  thoroughbred  sheep, 
are  generally  disastrous;  there  is  no  uniformity  in  a  flock 
bred  in  this  way,  for  the  individuality,  so  to  speak,  of  each 
breed  that  it  has  required  a  long  number  of  years  to  estab- 
lish, will  be  lost  in  the  cross,  and  neither  the  rams  nor  the 
of  this  cross-bred  sheep  will  reproduce  in  their  off- 


[1321 

spring  with  any  degree  of  certainty,  and  to  any  extent  the 
characteristic  merits  of  either  of  their  pure- bred  ancestors. 
To  pursue  a  course  of  this  kind,  however,  in  breeding,  for 
a  long  series  of  years,  would  ultimately  result  in  anew  breed 
of  sheep  of  fixed  type,  and  with  the  power  of  reproducing 
their  likeness  and  quality  in  their  offspring;  but  to  estab- 
lish a  new  breed  with  this  power  would  almost  require  the 
work  of  a  lifetime,  unremitting  skill,  attention  and  patience, 
and  with  a  well  defined  object  constantly  in  view.  To  skill 
of  this  kind,  and  to  the  patient  perseverance  of  breeders 
years  ago,  are  we  indebted  for  the  excellent  varieties  of  the 
present  day,  and  in  order  to  keep  each  of  them  up  to  the 
highest  standard  of  excellence,  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to 
keep  them  pure  and  free  from  other  crosses. 

GRADES. 

While  we  doubt  if  there  are  any  cross-bred  sheep  as  good 
as  either  of  the  thoroughbreds  from  which  they  come,  there 
can  be  no  doubt  as  to  the  increased  value  of  a  .flock  result- 
ing from  a  thoroughbred  ram  of  any  of  the  different  estab- 
lished varieties  crossed  upon  the  common  scrub  ewes  of  the 
country. 

Sheep  bred  in  this  way  are  called  grades,  and  so  marked 
and  rapid  is  the  improvement  of  the  flock  by  using  nothing 
but  a  thoroughbred  ram  on  these  grade  ewes,  that  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  tell  the  grades  from  the  thoroughbreds  after  they  are 
two  or  three  removes  from  the  scrub.  This  rapid  improve- 
ment in  the  flock  is  sometimes  injurious  to  the  farmer,  by 
tempting  him  to  select  a  young  breeding  ram  from  his  flock 
of  handsome  grade  lambs,  expecting  him  to  continue  the 
improvement  of  the  flock  already  begun  by  his  thorough- 
bred sire,  but  the  result  of  such  breeding  will  in  every  in- 
stance prove  a  disappointment;  a  grade  ram  should  never 
be  used  for  breeding  purposes,  for  under  no  circumstances 
can  he  increase  the  value  of  the  flock,  and  his  offspring  will 
invariably  deteriorate.  Even  if  bred  to  thoroughbred  ewes, 


[133] 

this  will  be  the  case,  and  although  the  inferiority  of  the 
produce  may  not  be  so  marked  as  when  bred  to  grade  ewes, 
the  result  finally  will  be  the  same,  and  both  will  terminate 
in  a  scrub.  A  lot  of  thoroughbred  ewes  will  degenerate 
into  common  scrawny  scrubs  by  the  constant  use  of  grade 
rams  upon  them  and  their  descendants  more  rapidly  than 
the  produce  of  scrub  ewes  can  be  bred  up  to  full  bloods  by 
the  constant  use  of  thoroughbred  rams.  Hence  we  say, 
that  the  farmer,  tempted  by  the  extra  fine  appearance  of  a 
grade  lamb,  saves  him  for  a  breeder,  and  uses  him  on  his 
ewes,  does  his  flock  an  injury  that  will  require  a  thorough- 
bred ram  two  years  to  deface. 

For  the  general  farmer  the  most  economical  way  to  begin 
a  flock  is  to  buy  the  common  scrub  ewes,  and  breed  them 
up  by  using  thoroughbred  rams,  being  governed  in  the 
selection  of  a  ram  entirely  by  the  special  qualities  desired 
in  the  flock. 

In  none  of  our  domestic  animals  have  we  more  complete 
power  to  breed  at  will  such  qualities  as  we  want,  than  we 
have  in  sheep,  and  while  it  would  take,  as  stated  above,  a 
long  series  of  years  to  establish  a  "typical  breed,  yet  the 
lambs  from  grade  ewes  by  thoroughbred  rams  often  show  as 
much  quality  as  the  thoroughbred,  though  they  will  not  and 
<?annot  transmit  this  quality  with  any  degree  of  certainty 
to  their  offspring,  hence  the  necessity  of  using  thoroughbred 
rams,  it  matters  not  what  purpose  the  flock- master  has  in 
view,  be  it  wool  or  mutton,  or  both  combined. 

If  wool  is  the  principal  object,  and  a  fine  texture  mostly 
desired,  a  Merino  ram  should  be  used ;  three  or  four  crosses 
of  Merino  will  not  only  give  the  desired  texture,  but  will 
more  than  treble  the  weight  of  the  fleece  of  the  grades  over 
that  of  the  original  scrub,  and  if  the  demand  should  change 
to  a  long  combing  wool,  no  better  or  more  profitable  cross 
could  be  made  than  by  breeding  these  high  grade  Merino 
ewes  to  a  Cotswold  or  Leicester  ram,  this  will  produce  a 
most  desirable  quality  of  wool  that  commands  a  good  price 


[134] 

in  any  market,  for  it  has  the  fine  texture  of  the  Merino 
with  the  combing  qualities  of  the  Cotswold.  This  is  also  a 
valuable  grade  for  any  pnrpose,  producing  a  superior  qual- 
ity of  wool,  and  at  the  same  time  making  a  juicy  mutton, 
second  in  quality  only  to  the  Southdown  grades. 

Satisfactory  experiments  have  been  made  with  this  cross 
by  Capt.  Thos.  Gibson,  of  Maury  county,  an  experienced 
and  extensive  breeder.  He  used,  however,  pure  Merino 
ewes  instead  of  grades ;  so  gratifying  was  the  result  that  he 
intends  to  cross  his  flock  more  extensively.  Merinos  are 
the  oldest  established  breed  of  sheep  we  have,  and  their 
powers  of  transmitting  their  characteristics  are  greater  than 
that  of  any  other  breed,  hence  when  this  breed  is  crossed 
with  another  the  produce  will  carry  the  Merino  type  more 
distinctly  than  that  of  its  other  ancestor ;  thus  if  Cotswold 
rams  are  bred  to  only  half  breed  or  three-quarter-bred  Me- 
rino ewes,  the  wool  will  show  by  increased  length  the  Cots- 
wold blood,  but  it  will  also  retain  much  of  the  fine  texture 
of  the  Merino. 

The  well-known  longevity  of  the  Merino,  their  thrift  and 
disposition  to  flock  in  large  numbers  without  danger  of 
disease,  more  common  to  the  other  varieties,  make  their 
blood  a  very  desirable  strain  to  have  as  a  foundation  stone 
upon  which  to  build  a  flock  for  any  purpose.  Grade  ewes  of 
this  breed  are  good  and  trustworthy  breeders  at  eight  years, 
and  at  that  age,  when  it  is  no  longer  profitable  to  keep  them 
as  breeders,  they  fatten  kindly  ard  quickly  for  the  butcher. 
We  do  not  know  of  any  grade  sheep  that  will  pay  in  wool 
more  surely  the  average  farmer,  than  high  grade  Merino 
ewes  crossed  twice  or  three  times  with  a  pure  Cotswold  ram. 

Wool,  however,  is  not  always  the  greatest  consideration 
in  sheep  husbandry.  A  farmer  conveniently  located  to  a 
market  will  find  early  lambs  and  fall  mutton  will  pay  bet- 
ter than  his  wool  clip.  With  this  object  in  view,  a  ram 
should  be  selected  from  that  breed  most  noted  for  its  mut- 
ton qualities.  Early  maturity  must  be  duly  considered  in 


[135] 

making  a  selection,  as  the  sale  of  early  lambs  will  be  the 
greatest  source  of  profit  to  the  mutton  breeder.  The  South- 
down are,  beyond  all  question,  the  best  mutton  sheep  we 
have;  they  are  close  to  the  ground,  on  short  legs,  square- 
bodied  ;  marble  their  flesh  well,  and  take  on  flesh  rapidly. 
As  a  breed,  they  will  dress  more  neat  meat,  in  proportion 
to  offal,  than  any  of  the  varieties  above  mentioned ;  hence, 
in  selecting  a  ram  to  grade  up  the  scrub  ewes,  select  a 
Southdown.  So  much  depends  upon  contingencies,  such  a& 
location,  pasturage,  markets,  etc.,  that  no  definite  plan  can 
be  given  as  best,  under  all  circumstances,  for  breeding  the 
mutton  sheep. 

In  selecting  the  scrub  ewes,  with  which  it  is  presumed 
the  breeder  will  first  start,  the  first  and  greatest  care  should 
be  to  get  healthy  ones,  free  from  all  the  many  diseases  so- 
common  amongst  scrub  sheep.  None  of  them  should  ex- 
ceed three  years  old,  for  scrub  ewes  are  by  no  means  cer- 
tain breeders  after  passing  five  years.  The  health  and  age 
of  a  ewe  being  satisfactory,  her  shape  and  condition  should 
be  next  considered.  These  two  points  we  place  last,  though 
they  are  more  often  the  first  considered  by  the  purchaser  in 
making  his  selections.  That  health  and  age  should  be  first 
considered,  is  at  once  apparent,  for  one  unsound  or  diseased 
ewe  can  quickly  disease  the  entire  flock,  and  it  is  never  safe 
to  count  on  getting  more  than  one  lamb  from  a  five-year- 
old  ewe. 

In  shape,  the  ewes  selected  for  breeders  should  be  com- 
pactly built,  square,  and  wide  behind,  good  stout  frames,  of 
medium  size,  a  lengthy  body  on  short  legs,  and,  last  of  all, 
they  should  be  as  well  wooled  as  can  be  found  after  the 
other  points  have  been  considered ;  for,  remember,  mutton 
is  the  principal  object  now,  and  breeding  ewes  should  not 
be  expected  to  yield  more  than  wool  enough  to  pay  for  their 
winter  keep.  Ewes  selected  in  this  way,  even  though  they 
are  scrubs,  will  present  something  of  a  uniform  appearance, 
and  this  uniformity  will  greatly  assist  the  breeder  in  select- 


[136] 

ing  a  ram  of  the  proper  form,  and  one  that  will  most  likely 
produce  the  best  results  when  mated  with  them. 

The  ram  should  be  well  developed  where  the  ewes  are 
most  defective.  If  they  are  light  and  contracted  in  front, 
he  should  have  full,  strong  shoulders,  and  depth  in  the 
brisket;  if  they  are  flat-ribbed  and  leggy,  his  ribs  should 
be  well  arched  and  his  legs  short;  if  they  are  naked  under 
the  belly,  flank  and  thighs,  he  should  be  well  wooled  on 
those  places. 

But,  as  mentioned  above,  this  is  an  after  consideration  in 
mutton  sheep.  It  is  not  the  largest  carcass  always  that 
dresses  the  greatest  number  of  pounds  of  neat  meat,  or 
that  proves  the  most  profitable  to  the  breeder;  on  the  con- 
trary, medium- sized  sheep  are  more  desirable.  They  are, 
as  a  general  thing,  more  compact  in  form,  not  so  coarse  in 
appearance,  fatten  more  rapidly,  and  when  brought  to  the 
butcher  will  command  a  better  average  price  than  a  ragged 
and  uneven  lot  of  larger  ones.  There  are  times,  however, 
when  it  is  advisable  to  use  a  large- framed  and  somewhat 
coarse  ram  to  breed  from.  Such  a  one,  for  instance,  would 
produce  the  best  results  crossed  upon  small  and  delicate 
ewes.  Such  a  cross  would  be  apt  to  give  size  and  constitu- 
tion to  the  lambs,  with,  however,  more  or  less  the  coarseness 
of  their  sire;  but  this  objection  can  be  overcome  by  using 
upon  these  young  ewes  a  ram  of  finer  finish  than  their  sire. 
Southdowns  are  deservedly  the  most  popular  sheep  to  breed 
for  mutton.  They  are  round  and  compact  in  form,  mature 
early,  and  have  the  greatest  tendency  to  take  on  fat.  They 
will  dress  as  much,  and  probably  more,  neat  meat,  in  pro- 
portion to  gross  weight,  than  any  other  breed,  hence  they 
command  the  best  price  from  the  butcher,  either  as  lambs 
or  mutton. 

Much  depends,  however,  upon  the  location  of  the  breeder 
as  to  what  particular  quality  of  sheep  will  pay  him  best. 
In  breeding  a  grade  flock  for  mutton,  it  does  not  necessarily 
follow  that  the  fleece  should  be  neglected.  In  some  sections 


it  will  pay  best  to  breed  nothing  but  thoroughbred  South- 
downs  for  mutton,  for  the  breeder  will  frequently  be  ena- 
bled to  dispose  of  a  large  number  of  his  lambs  to  farmers 
and  others  as  breeding  rams  to  cross  upon  their  common 
ewes. 

In  breeding  for  mutton,  early  lambs  for  market  are  gen- 
erally the  first  consideration;  though  every  year,  after  he 
gets  fairly  started,  the  flock- master  will  find  old  ewes  and 
uncertain  breeders  accumulating  on  his  hands,  that  will  best 
pay  him  in  the  butcher's  pen.  They  can  be  replaced  by  a 
corresponding  number  of  young  ewes,  selected  each  year 
from  the  crop  of  lambs  and  reserved  for  breeding  purposes. 
In  this  way  he  can  always  regulate  the  size  of  his  flock, 
and  at  the  same  time  have  nothing  but  young,  vigorous 
ewes  for  breeding. 

We  have  mentioned  elsewhere  how  mutton  sheep  should 
be  treated,  but  it  will  not  be  out  of  place  here  to  say  that 
the  ewes  intended  for  the  shambles  should  be  kept  apart 
from  the  flock,  for  they  require  more  food,  and  of  a  richer 
quality,  than  breeding  ewes  should  have,  and  not  being 
bred,  they  will  constantly  be  in  heat  during  the  fall,  and  it 
would  have  a  tendency  to  make  young  ewes  abort  if  they 
were  permitted  to  run  with  them. 

The  earlier  the  lambs  come  in  market,  the  higher  the 
price  they  will  command.  In  the  large  eastern  cities 
the  butchers  dispose  readily  of  all  the  extra  early  lambs 
they  can  get  at  fifty  cents  per  pound  dressed  meat.  In 
order  to  get  the  best  prices,  the  ewes  must  be  bred  early. 
Probably  the  best  time  to  buy  the  scrub  ewes  with  which 
to  start  the  flock  on,  would  be  in  June  or  July,  after  they 
have  been  clipped  and  before  they  have  been  bred.  In  order 
to  get  good  prices  for  the  lambs,  these  ewes  should  be  bred 
at  the  earliest  moment  possible,  the  last  of  July  or  first  of 
August,  if  they  will  take  the  buck;  and  it  is  quite  import- 
ant that  they  should  be  bred  in  bunches  of  20  or  25,  as 
nearly  at  the  same  time  as  possible,  in  order  that  the  lambs 


[138] 

may  come  as  near  together  as  possible.  No  one  who  is  not 
familiar  with  the  business  can  realize  how  much  is  added  to 
the  appearance  of  a  flock  by  having  them  all  of  uniform 
size,  or  how  eagerly  a  butcher  will  take  a  smooth,  even  lot  of 
lambs  in  preference  to  a  ragged  lot,  even  though  the  latter 
be  larger.  We  have  stated  that  the  Southdowns  are  pre-emi- 
nently the  best  mutton  sheep  we  have,  and  where  mutton 
alone  is  desired,  it  is  useless  to  hunt  further  than  a  South- 
down for  a  ram  to  breed  upon  these  scrub  ewes.  But  there 
are  other  considerations,  important  to  the  breeder  just  be- 
ginning to  grade  up  his  flock,  in  addition  to  their  mutton 
qualities,  even  if  mutton  is  his  principal  object.  He  wants 
long-lived  and  healthy  ewes,  and  he  wants  them  to  yield 
him  as  much  wool  each  year  as  possible  without  detracting 
from  their  value  as  mutton.  Remember,  we  are  speaking 
of  a  grade  flock  now,  with  no  thoroughbreds  except  the 
rams  that  are  used.  As  mentioned  above,  no  better  cross 
can  be  first  used  on  the  common  ewes,  it  matters  not  what 
quality  is  most  desired,  than  a  Merino  ram.  It  will  add 
irom  one  to  two  pounds  of  wool  to  each  lamb,  and  will  give 
a  healthy  and  thrifty  flock  of  half-breed  ewes  to  breed 
from.  With  these  to  start  on,  it  is  an  easy  and  pleasant 
task  to  shape  the  flock  as  desired.  If  a  longer  staple  and 
a  heavier  fleece  and  a  larger  carcass  are  desired,  then  a 
Cotswold  ram  should  be  used  until  the  desired  standard  is 
reached;  if,  on  the  other  hand,  mutton  is  the  object,  use  a 
Southdown  ram  on  the  half-breed  Merino  ewes.  Either  of 
these  objects,  wool  or  mutton,  can  be  bred  on  a  flock  quicker 
by  using  direct  on  the  scrub  ewes  a  ram  of  either  of  the 
breeds  mentioned,  but  in  doing  this  we  would  get  the 
hardy  and  valuable  blood  of  the  Merino,  a  cross  that  would 
certainly  be  of  benefit  to  every  grade  flock  in  the  State.  A 
most  valuable  and  desirable  grade  sheep,  and  one  that  comes 
probably  nearer  than  any  other  filling  all  the  requirements 
of  the  average  farmer,  is  to  breed  the  half-bred  Merino 
ewes  in  twice  to  a  Cotswold  ram,  and  then  on  the  ewes  from 


[139] 

these  three  crosses,  breed  a  Southdown  ram.  In  the  first 
cross  with  the  Merino  we  get  more  fleece  of  finer  quality,  a 
long-lived,  healthy  sheep.  Such  ewes,  bred  to  a  Cotswold, 
will  nearly  double  the  weight  of  fleece,  giving  it  more 
length,  and  at  the  same  time  increasing  greatly  the  size  of 
carcass.  Breed  these  Cots  wold- Merino  ewes  to  a  Cotswold 
ram  again,  and  the  produce  will  approach  very  near  a  full 
blood  Cotswold  in  size  and  appearance.  The  fleece  will  not 
be  quite  as  long  or  heavy  as  the  Cotswold,  but  it  will  be  of 
finer  texture,  owing  to  the  Merino  cross.  The  ewes  can  be 
counted  as  valuable  breeders  at  seven  or  eight  years  of  age, 
and  will,  in  their  prime,  average  a  clip  of  eight  pounds  of 
wool.  The  breeder  can  keep  his  flock  up  to  this  standard 
by  using  every  third  year  a  Merino  ram  on  the  ewes.  The 
sale  of  early  lambs,  however,  will  be  the  chief  source  of 
revenue  to  him,  and  in  order  to  realize  the  best  prices,  a 
Southdown  ram  should  be  used  for  the  sire  of  the  market 
lambs. 

The  effect  of  breeding  a  Southdown  ram  on  these  Cots- 
wold-Merino  ewes  will  be  of  no  advantage  to  the  fleece 
of  the  offspring;  on  the  contrary,  it  will  have  a  tendency 
to  decrease  the  weight  and  length ;  but  the  change  in  thi& 
respect,  is  scarcely  perceptible,  and  the  advantages  arising 
from  this  cross  for  mutton  more  than  compensate  for  the 
loss  in  wool.  The  lambs  from  the  Southdown  ram  will 
be  of  more  compact  form,  mature  earlier,  and  take  on 
fat  more  readily  than  the  Cotswold-Merino  lambs.  Ninety 
per  cent  of  them  will  have  the  distinguishing  marks  of  the 
Southdown,  in  brown  faces  and  legs.  This  adds  nothing  to 
their  real  value  as  mutton,  but  it  assists  the  breeder  very 
materially  in  disposing  of  them  at  the  highest  market 
price.  This  will  be  more  readily  understood  by  those  who 
have  experience  in  selling  lambs,  and  know  the  very  de- 
cided preference  butchers  give  lambs  that  show  their  South- 
down origin  in  black  or  brown  faces  and  legs.  Aside  from 
the  advantages  mentioned  above,  a  grade  flock  bred  in  thi& 


[140] 

way  are,  owing  to  the  constant  infusion  of  fresh  blood  nec- 
essary to  keep  up  the  proper  standard  of  the  flock,  remark- 
ably healthy  and  vigorous. 

The  relative  value  of  cross-bred  sheep  is  shown  conspic- 
uously in  the  following  table,  the  result  of  an  experiment 
with  some  of  the  most  productive  and  highly  esteemed  of 
the  established  breeds  of  improved  sheep,  though  it  does 
not  include  Merinos,  and  the  animals  were  thoroughbred 
instead  of  grades.  The  Cotswold  being  the  largest,  was 
the  basis  of  comparison,  the  number  kept  being  propor- 
tioned to  relative  size : 

BREEDS           C9tnpara-  Weight  Value  Weight  of 

OF                 tive  No.  of  of  Carcass  at       Total 

SHEEP.              Kept.  Fleece.  Fleece.  14  mo.  old.  Products. 

Lbs.  Cent*.             Lbs.  Dollars. 

Cotswold , 100  5  to  10  31  to  32          80  1,24166 

Leicester 105  4  to    8  31  to  33J        68  1,11318 

Hampshire  Downs 115  3  to    7  31  to  36          68  1,02062 

South  Downs  120  2  to    6  33  to  37          60  1,31770 

Cross-bred  115  4  to    8  33  to  36          76  1,46450 

This  certainly  makes  a  fair  showing  for  the  cross-breeds. 

Interesting  Experiment  in  Austria  of  the  Crossing  of  the 
Cotswold  upon  the  Merino,  on  Exhibition  at  the  Vienna  Ex- 
position.— "The  Merino  element  is  so  prominent  in  Austria 
that  the  growing  necessity  for  better  mutton  is  beginning  to 
be  met  rather  by  cross-breeds  than  mutton  sheep  of  full 
blood.  The  Cotswold- Merinos  on  exhibition  commanded 
much  attention.  They  are  without  horns,  have  the  white 
faces  of  Cots  wolds,  and  the  pink  noses  of  Merinos.  They 
are  of  good  size,  with  a  girth  of  nearly  six  feet  over  the 
wool.  The  fleeces,  at  eleven  months,  showed  fibre  4J  inches 
long;  much  longer  than  the  Rambouillet,  finer  than  that 
of  the  Cotswold,  with  much  of  its  lustre,  and  a  fair  degree 
of  the  curl  of  the  Merino,  without  its  dirt  and  grease. 

"The  union  of  Cotswold  and  Merino  blood  on  the  Kelt- 
schan  Sugar  Company's  estate  in  Moravia,  has  been  more 
satisfactory  in  its  results  than  any  contemporary  experience 
in  cross-breeding.  The  change  was  effected  by  the  use  of 


[141] 

imported  Cotswold  rams.  The  large  area  occupied,  exceed- 
ing 6,000  acres,  is  hilly,  and  the  pastures  are  covered  with 
fruit  trees,  suggesting  sheep  as  the  stock  most  appropriate 
to  be  kept.  The  old  flock  of  fine  wools  was  not  profitable, 
the  culls  being  almost  worthless  for  mutton,  upon  which 
the  rich  beet  pulp  was  practically  thrown  away  in  an  at- 
tempt to  fatten  them.  The  experiment  was  successful  above 
expectation.  The  cross-breeds  were  thrifty,  early  attaining 
maturity,  becoming  fat  at  ten  or  twelve  months  old.  After 
weaning,  the  lambs  are  fed  upon  beet  pulp,  have  a  little 
rape-seed  cake,  and  oats,  until  a  supply  of  mown  clover  is 
attainable,  and  later  are  pushed  forward  with  mangolds. 
With  such  a  course  of  feeding,  they  weigh  140  pounds  or 
more  at  12  or  14  months,  and  have  brought  at  market  an 
equivalent  of  7  cents  per  pound,  live  weight,  or  $10  per 
head.  After  the  first  cross,  it  has  been  found  best  to  breed 
in-and-in  by  selection  from  the  same  flock.  A  second  flock 
was  constituted  with  reference  to  very  large  size  and  great 
hardiness,  by  selecting  large  native  ewes  from  the  Car- 
pathian Mountains  (Zackels),  and  also  Merinos  of  unusual 
size,  and  coupling  with  rams  of  any  breed  having  requisite 
size  and  constitution.  The  offspring  of  these  selected  sheep 
were  paired  with  Cotswold  males  from  England,  and  their 
progeny  inbred  without  further  crossing.  The  result  is  the 
Keltschan  sheep  exhibited  by  the  sugar  company — a  large 
animal,  an  average  wether  weighing  fully  170  pounds  at  14 
months,  and  225  at  18. 

"  This  company  has  also  a  Southdown  flock,  and  a  cross- 
breed, or  a  Southdown-Merino  flock,  the  latter  well  adapted 
to  medium  lands,  but  surpassed  by  the  Cotswold- Merinos 
ior  rich  lands,  and  b)  the  heavy  Keltschan  sheep  for  profit 
as  pulp- eaters  and  flesh- makers.  The  weight  of  fleeces  of 
the  Cotswold  cross  is  fully  four  pounds,  and  of  the  others 
three  pounds." 


[142] 


CHAPTER  IX. 

WASHING,    SHEARING   AND   PACKING   WOOL    FOR   MARKET. 

Our  Northern  friends  almost  universally  pursue  a  plan 
that  has  never  come  into  use  with  us,  and  that  is,  washing 
sheep  before  shearing.  This  custom  prevails  also  in  Eng- 
land, and  in  fact  throughout  all  European  countries.  It 
has  been  practiced  time  out  of  mind,  and  what  is  so  popu- 
lar with  them  certainly  has  merits.  It  frees  the  fleece  from 
dirt,  and  many  impurities  that  accumulate  during  the  year. 
It  causes  the  wool  to  sell  at  a  higher  price  also,  and  I  see 
no  reason  why  it  should  not  be  practiced  here. 

Soft  water  should  be  used  in  preference  to  hard  water. 
Streams  with  sandy,  or  what  is  better,  gravelly  bottoms, 
must  be  selected,  and  about  waist  deep.  If  the  stream  has 
a  muddy  bottom  the  soil  will  adhere  to  the  wool,  making 
it  worse  than  before.  Many  persons  purposely  select  a  bed 
of  mud,  and  incorporate  as  much  as  possible  in  the  wool,  so 
as  to  add  to  the  weight  of  the  fleece.  But  this  is  a  poor 
method  of  cheating,  and  will  be  readily  detected  by  the 
buyer,  who,  awake  to  his  own  interest,  will  dock  the  value 
more  than  sufficient  to  overbalance  the  addition.  Soft  water 
leaves  the  wool,  when  dry,  soft  and  pleasant  to  the  feel,  as 
it  does  not  deprive  the  wool  of  its  grease  or  yolk-like  water 
that  has  lime  in  it,  which  leaves  the  wool  rough  and  harsh 
to  the  fingers. 

The  stream  being  agreed  on,  a  pen  is  built  on  its  banks 
into  which  the  sheep  are  driven.  The  pen  has  a  narrow 
alley  leading  down  to  the  water,  and  ending  in  a  small  plat- 
form, from  which  the  sheep  are  plunged  directly  into  the 
water.  The  washer  should  be  careful  not  to  handle  the 
sheep  by  the  wool,  as  it  impaires  the  wool  and  skin,  often 


[143] 

producing  extravasation  of  blood  under  the  skin  that  causes 
the  wool  to  shed  at  that  point.  He  should  grasp  him  by 
the  legs  and  plunge  the  sheep  under  two  or  three  times  until 
he  is  thoroughly  wet,  then  allowing  him  to  stand  on  his 
legs,  the  wool  is  rubbed,  the  matted  parts  opened,  and  the 
legs  washed  free  of  dung,  as  near  as  may  be,  without  keep- 
ing the  sheep  in  too  long.  The  sheep  should  then  be  passed 
to  another  washer,  who  stands  above  him,  and  well  rinsed, 
and  then  turned  into  a  clean,  grassy  meadow,  squeezing  as 
much  water  out  of  the  wool  as  possible.  Ewes  not  having 
given  birth  to  their  lambs  should  be  more  carefully  handled 
than  the  others,  but  if  carefully  washed,  no  harm  will  re- 
sult. Good  hands  will  wash  about  one  sheep  to  every  min- 
ute, if  sufficient  help  is  given  in  passing  them  down.  After 
washing  they  should  be  kept  in  a  clean  meadow  to  prevent 
the  adherence  of  dirt  until  the  wool  dries,  which  will  be 
according  to  the  weather,  in  five  or  seven  days.  Some 
people  erect  a  dam  across  a  small  stream  or  branch,  and 
conduct  the  water  through  a  race  three  or  four  feet  long  to 
a  platform  or  bridge,  and  with  a  pen  on  one  side  for  the 
sheep,  they  can  be  washed  without  the  necessity  of  stand- 
ing in  water,  and  with  a  gum  apron  and  boots  the  washer 
will  be  able  to  keep  perfectly  dry. 

Shearing. — When  the  sheep  has  got  not  only  perfectly 
dry,  but  when  the  yolk  that  has  been  washed  out  has  had 
time  to  re-form,  making  the  fleece  feel  soft  and  mellow,  it 
is  then  ready  for  shearing.  This  should  be  done  as  the 
washing  is,  by  careful,  gentle  hands,  and  no  violence  should 
be  shown  the  sheep,  which  is  an  exceedingly  timid  animal. 
The  shearer  should  be  provided  with  a  good  sharp  pair  of 
shears  and  a  good  whetstone,  as  the  condition  of  the  instru- 
ment greatly  expedites  the  operation.  He  should  also  have 
a  bench  with  legs  about  waist  high,  to  relieve  himself  from 
the  tedium  of  a  long  continued  forced  posture. 

A  good,  warm,  bright  day  should  be  selected,  and  not  as 
is  too  often  the  case,  wait  for  a  rainy  day  when  nothing  can 


[144] 

be  done  out  of  doors.  The  bench  on  which  the  sheep  are 
laid  should  be  planed  smooth  to  prevent  injury  to  the  fleece 
or  sheep,  and  if  possible,  they  should  be  sheared  on  a  barn 
floor,  the  latter  being  beforehand  swept  clean  of  straw  or 
dust,  as  otherwise  much  filth  will  adhere  to  the  wool,  affect- 
ing its  quality.  Nothing  contributes  more  to  the  sale  of 
wool,  as  well  as  of  all  other  farm  products,  than  neatness  in 
packing  up.  Shearing  should  take  place,  in  Tennessee, 
about  the  middle  of  May,  or  later  if  the  warm  weather  is 
backward  in  coming.  If  shorn  in  cold  weather  the  sheep 
will  shiver  in  the  cold,  and  take  many  lung  diseases.  When 
every  thing  is  ready  the  shearer,  with  his  assistants,  will 
place  the  sheep  on  the  bench,  and  place  the  head  of  the 
sheep  towards  the  shearer,  the  sheep  resting  on  the  right  side. 
Begin  by  cutting  all  the  tags  off  the  fore  leg  and  belly  and 
neck.  Let  them  be  thrown  on  the  floor  and  carried  in  a 
basket  to  one  side  out  of  the  way,  by  no  means  allowing 
them  to  get  mixed  with  the  wool.  Cut  with  the  hand 
elevated,  so  as  to  keep  the  point  next  the  skin,  along  the 
sides  of  the  sheep's  belly,  fore  leg,  and  over  the  backbone, 
as  far  as  can  be  reached  with  the  shears,  then  around  the 
hind  leg,  tail,  to  the  former  cut.  The  sheep  is  now  turned 
over  on  the  shorn  side,  and  soon  divested  of  his  coat  by  be- 
ginning at  the  same  point  and  meeting  the  first  cut.  Bear 
in  mind  all  the  time  to  keep  the  hand  well  away  from  the 
sheep's  body,  and  never  by  any  means  take  two  cuts  at  the 
same  length  of  fibre.  If  the  fibre  is  cut  it  is  injured. 
Therefore  if  a  farmer  wishes  to  know  whether  a  sheep  is 
well  shorn,  he  should  not  only  look  at  the  sheep,  as  many 
smoothly  shorn  sheep  are  badly  shorn,  but  look  at  the  in- 
side of  the  fleece,  and  see  if  there  are  any  short  pieces  of 
wool.  Should  the  skeep's  skin  be  cut  with  the  shears,  as  it 
will  be  sometimes  unavoidably,  put  a  little  tar  over  the 
wound,  or  fty's  eggs  will  be  deposited  in  it,  and  the  place 
will  soon  be  swarming  with  maggots. 

Packing  the  Fleece. — The  manner  in  which  the  fleece  is 


[145] 

packed  has  so  much  to  do  with  its  sale,  we  deem  it  neces- 
sary to  call  the  attention  of  farmers  to  the  subject,  and  give 
a  few  short  directions  about  it.  Nothing,  as  already  said, 
hastens  or  contributes  more  to  the  sale  of  wool  than  the  neat 
manner  in  which  it  may  be  put  up.  I  have  seen  wool  pur- 
chased in  large  quantities  in  our  State,  and  with  very  few 
exceptions  have  never  seen  it  neatly  packed.  A  neat  roll 
of  wool,  properly  tied  up,  will  at  once  catch  the  eye  of  the 
purchaser,  who  will  always  select  wool  of  this  character  to 
those  rough,  loosely  hanging  bundles,  or  no  bundles  at  all, 
in  which  for  the  most  part  it  is  carried  to  market.  As  little 
as  one  would  suppose,  a  difference  of  from  four  to  five,  and 
even  six  cents  per  pound  is  paid  for  the  trouble.  In  Ohio 
the  principal  wool-growing  State  of  the  Union,  much  care 
is  exhibited  in  preparing,  sorting  and  tagging  wool,  and  a 
great  emulation  exists  among  farmers  as  to  who  shall  have 
the  nicest  packages  of  wool.  The  consequence  of  this  care 
a  reference  to  the  prices  current  will  show.  The  Ohio, 
Pennsylvania  and  West  Virginia  wools  sell  in  the  Philadel- 
phia market  at  50  to  52c,  while  the  wools  of  New  York  and 
the  other  Western  States  sell  at  from  45  to  48  cents.  This 
difference  is  due  entirely  to  the  extra  care  taken  by  the 
farmers  of  those  States  in  preparing  their  wools  for  market, 
as  they  are  graded  the  same  in  other  respects. 

We  will  suppose  it  has  been  well  trimmed  of  tags.  Lay 
the  fleece  on  a  table  with  the  inside  down,  then  turn  the 
ends  all  in,  such  as  the  neck  and  legs,  making  the  two  ends, 
that  are  to  be,  a  straight  line,  then  roll  up  moderately  tigh  1 
only,  and  tie  with  good  twine,  not  too  large,  and  the  bundle 
is  complete.  In  this  shape  it  can  be  easily  handled  and 
and  readily  examined,  and  presents  generally  a  neat  appear- 
ance. Many  expensive  contrivances  are  made  to  give  the 
fleeces  a  uniform  shape,  but  unless  a  farmer  handles  many 
hundreds  of  fleeces,  it  would  hardly  pay  expenses  to  pro- 
vide all  these  appliances. 

Should    the   farmer  wish   to   ship  the    wool,   it   will  be 
10 


[146] 

further  necessary  to  place  the  bundles  in  a  bag  or  box,  se- 
curely fastened.  It  is  essential  to  pack  it  in  as  small  a  com- 
pass as  possible,  as  the  railroads  charge  by  bulk  and  not  by 
weight.  The  best  plan  to  do  this  is  to  place  a  bag  that  is 
to  be  used  under  a  trap-door  of  the  barn,  and  while  one 
man  will  get  into  the  sack  with  bare  feet,  another  will  hand 
to  him  the  bundles,  which  he  will  tread  firmly  into  place 
with  his  feet  and  knees,  when  nearly  full  cramming  the  tags, 
which  have  been  prepared,  into  the  corners  and  odd  places, 
until  the  bag  is  full.  Let  it  then  be  securely  sewed  up, 
stuffing  some  tags  in  the  corners  to  give  a  hand  hold  by 
which  the  bag  may  be  moved  about. 

To  prepare  the  tags  for  market,  first  dip  them  repeatedly 
in  strong  salt  and  water  made  hot  as  the  hands  can  bear  it, 
then  wash  out  in  soapsuds,  pulling  to  pieces  until  all  filth  is 
removed,  and  then  rinsing  in  rain  or  soft  water.  They  will 
thus  be  made  into  very  fair  wool,  while  otherwise  they 
would  be  worthless. 

After  the  bag  is  sewed  up,  weigh  it  carefully,  and  mark 
the  weight,  name  and  quality  on  it. 

This  particularity  of  impressing  so  much  care  upon  the 
farmer  in  packing  and  shearing  may  be  understood  when  it 
is  stated  that  every  fleece  of  wool  sheared  from  a  sheep, 
when  it  reaches  the  last  purchaser  before  the  manufacturer, 
has  to  be  sorted.  The  manufacturer  buys  only  the  sorts  of 
wool  he  wishes  to  use  in  the  fabrics  manufactured.  Some 
wish  to  convert  it  in  jeans,  some  broadcloth,  while  others 
use  only  the  finer  qualities  for  ladies7  dresses.  In  fact  every 
fleece  goes  into  some  eight  or  ten  grades.  It  may  therefore 
seem  a  light  thing  to  pack  properly,  but  now  that  the  fleece 
is  opened,  if  it  is  all  in  a  tangle,  it  can  readily  be  seen  how 
difficult  it  becomes  to  properly  sort  it,  while  the  well- packed 
fleece  flies  with  great  rapidity  into  its  proper  heap  under  the 
judgment  of  the  sorter.  He  is  generally  a  high-priced 
workman,  and  his  work  goes  on  much  faster  with  a  trim 
fleece  than  with  a  slovenly  one,  and  therefore  the  purchaser 


[147] 

can  readily  afford  to  give  a  better  price  for  it.     The  wool 
of  the  world  amounts  to  1,800,000,000  pounds,  and  when 
we  consider  the  vast  numbers  of  persons  concerned  in  pre- 
paring this  enormous  amount  for  the  wear  and  tear  of  man, 
we  can  form  some  idea  of  its  commercial  importance.     It 
has  first  to  be  raised  by  the  tarmer,  sheared,  and  the  fleece 
sent  to  market.     Usually  it  passes  into  the  hands  of  three 
or  lour  tradesman  before  it  reaches  the  manufacturer.     All 
these  middle  men  are  given  employment,  and  the  farmer  too 
derives  part  of  his  living  from  it.     After  it  goes  to  the  fac- 
tory it  is  there  scoured,  dyed,  oiled,  plucked,  carded,  combed, 
broke,  drawn,  roved,  spun,  reeled,  woven,  all  these  differ- 
ent processes  employing  many  thousands  of  laborers,  and 
supporting  their  families.     It  has  then  to  pass  through  the 
hands  of  the  jobber,   the   wholesale  and  retail   merchants, 
and  at  last  comes  back  to  the  very  man  who  sheared  it  from 
the  sheep's  back.     But  how  different  it  is  then.     The  rough, 
homely  jeans  or  liiisey  has  the  same  parentage  with  the 
glossy  cloth  or  cassimere.     The  hod  carrier  gets  his  woolen 
jacket  from   the  same  source  with  the  belle  in  her  high- 
sounding  and  beautiful  delaines.     All  these  differences  are 
the  result  of  sorting.     The  perfection  of  its   manufacture, 
and  the  wonderful  differences  in  the  fabrics  cannot  better 
be  realized  than  by  the  fact  that  in  ordinary  spinning  one 
pound  of  wool  usually  stretches  to  three-fourths  of  a  mile, 
in  superfine   spinning  it  stretches  to   22  miles ;  while   the 
very  finest  and  choicest  bits  of  wool  will  reach  a  distance  of 
95  miles  to  a  pound.     Of  this  finest  quality    1,500  fibres 
laid  side  by  side  will  cover  one  inch,  and  a  compact  bundle 
of  one  square  inch  will  require  2,225,000  fibres.     By  these 
statements  one  can  readily  see  the  importance  of  not  injur- 
ing a  single  fibre  of  wool,  and  in  fact  the  necessity  of  the 
great  care  prescribed  in  these  pages  for  the  improvement 
rather  than  deterioration  of  a  staple  that  not  only  clothes 
the  farmer,  but  gives  employment  to  so  many  of  the  inhab- 
>tants  of  our  sphere . 


[1481 

There  is  one  fact  in  regard  to  the  effect  of  shearing  more 
curious  than  practical.  It  is  asserted,  on  the  best  English 
authority,  that  rams  recently  sheared  are  incapable  of  pro- 
ducing lambs.  From  the  fact  that  shearing  always  take 
place  in  the  spring  of  the  year.  This,  if  true,  is  of  no  conse- 
quence, but  it  should  be  taken  into  account,  should  the 
farmer  desire  or  intend  to  re- shear  in  the  fall.  According 
to  a  noted  Australian  writer,  a  flock  of  4,000  ewes  and  100 
rams  newly  sheared,  produced  only  165  lambs.  Another 
author  had  100  ewes  and  four  rams  recently  sheared  which 
only  brought  nine  lambs.  A  large  "  station  "  in  the  same 
neighborhood  had  five  per  cent,  of  lambs.  In  California  they 
shear  at  any  season,  as  in  Australia,  where  the  climate  is 
equable,  there  being  no  sudden  transitions  of  weather  from 
hot  to  cold.  Where  there  is  a  distinct  division  of  heat  and 
cold,  the  habit  is  universal  to  shear  during  the  breeding 
season,  otherwise  the  wool  would  shed  and  come  off  in  tufts. 
With  the  exception  of  the  Merino  this  is  universal,  but 
with  the  Merino,  the  sheep  have  been  known  to  go  as  long 
as  six  years  without  shearing,  which  will  account  for  the 
enormous  weight  of  some  published  fleeces.  One  in  Aus- 
tralia in  six  years  attained  a  length  of  22  inches,  and  one 
in  California  in  1874,  with  three  years  growth,  weighed  52 
pounds. 


[149] 


CHAPTER  X. 

DOGS. 

The  Thirty-ninth  General  Assembly  of  Tennessee  enacted 
a  dog  law,  greatly  to  the  relief  and  satisfaction  of  the  sheep- 
raisers  throughout  the  State.  Many  farmers  who  had  hith- 
erto been  deterred  from  raising  sheep,  soon  engaged  in  the 
enterprise,  and  many  more  were  preparing  to  do  so,  but  be- 
fore the  good  effects  of  the  law  were  scarcely  realized,  the 
following  Legislature  (the  40th)  repealed  the  law.  It  seems 
not  a  little  extraordinary  that  two  Legislatures,  following 
each  other  so  closely — giving  them  credit  for  an  equal 
amount  of  intelligence  and  patriotism — should  differ  so 
widely  in  their  appreciation  of  what  constituted  the  true 
interests  and  wishes  of  their  constituents.  Both  could  not 
be  right.  We  have  the  proof  positive,  through  the  answers 
received  to  the  circulars  issued  by  this  department  to  all  the 
principal  sheep- raisers  of  the  State,  that  they — for  whose 
benefit  and  protection  the  law  was  enacted — regarded  it  as 
most  salutary  and  beneficial.  Why  then  repeal  it?  How 
did  the  members  of  the  40th  General  Assembly  discover 
that  the  law  was  unpopular  or  not  beneficial?  The  ques- 
tion resolves  itself  into  this:  Whether  the  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  useless  curs  in  the  State  shall  be  suffered  to 
roam  at  large,  to  the  injury  and  destruction  of  the  property 
of  others,  or  whether  they  shall  be  put  under  some  restraint 
and  control,  that  one  of  the  most  important  industries  of 
the  State — I  had  almost  said,  the  most  important — might 
thrive  and  prosper? 

The  following  table  shows  the  salutary  effect  of  the  law 
during  the  short  time  it  was  in  operation : 


[150] 

TOTAL  NUMBER  OF  DOGS  IN  1875. 

Bitches.  Dogs. 

East  Tennessee 2,258  49,567 

Middle      "        6,080  90,413 

West          "        '. 4,412  63,087 


12,750  202,067 


Total  in  1875 214,717 

Total  in  1876 182,530 

Total  decrease  in  dogs ' 32,187 

The  sheep  interest  was  benefitted  this  much  by  the  de- 
crease. Did  any  other  suffer  in  consequence?  There  might 
have  been  some  obnoxious  features  in  the  dog  law;  if  so, 
these  could  have  easily  been  amended.  The  Supreme  Court 
decided  that  the  law  was  unconstitutional,  that  dogs  were 
property  and  must  be  taxed  like  other  property,  and  that  a 
special  tax  could  not  be  put  upon  them.  It  would  seem  that 
a  remedy  might  be  found  to  cover  these  objections.  It  cer- 
tainly is  not  constitutional  for  a  man,  directly  or  indirectly, 
to  destroy  another  man's  property,  or  to  exercise  a  priv- 
ilege inconsistent  with  the  freedom  or  privileges  of  others. 
Since  it  is  legal  now  for  any  man  to  keep  as  many  dogs  as 
he  pleases  without  paying  a  tax,  there  is  a  way  in  which 
our  sheep- raisers  can  utilize  this  privilege.  The  Mexicans, 
who,  by  the  way,  are  the  very  best  shepherds  in  the  world, 
and  have  immense  flocks  of  sheep,  that  are  exposed  to  a 
much  greater  enemy,  if  possible,  than  the  dog — I  mean 
the  coyote,  or  prairie  wolf — have  no  trouble  in  keeping 
them  at  bay  by  the  following  method :  They  select  the 
young  pups  from  some  large  breed  of  the  common  cur  dog, 
and  put  them  to  sucking  a  ewe,  first  taking  away  her  own 
lamb.  At  first  she  will  rebel  against  the  substitute,  but 
from  the  natural  desire  to  be  relieved  from  her  milk,  she 
will  permit  them  to  suck  her,  and  finally  regard  them 
with  the  same  affection  that  she  would  her  own  offspring. 


[151] 

For  the  first  few  days  they  are  allowed  to  suck  only  twice- 
a  day,  morning  and  evening.  After  she  becomes  accus- 
tomed to  them,  they  may  be  allowed  to  run  together  in  a 
small  enclosure.  Finally,  they  are  turned  in  with  the 
whole  flock,  that  they  may  get  accustomed  to  them  also,, 
for  no  sheep  will  take  to  a  strange  dog  at  first,  not  even  the 
finest- bred  shepherd  dogs.  After  the  pups  are  weaned,, 
they  will  never  leave  the  particular  flock  they  were  raised 
among.  No  other  dogs  dare  approach  the  flock,  not  even  a 
strange  person.  If  a  pack  of  wolves  come  around  the 
camp  at  night,  the  dogs  keep  up  a  continual  barking,  which 
frightens  them  off,  so  that  a  sheep  is  seldom  destroyed  by 
wolves.  Three  or  four  dogs  are  kept  with  a  flock  of  800 
or  1,000  sheep.  These  dogs  are  much  stronger  and  fiercer 
than  the  Scotch  colley,  and  can  be  trained  to  the  care  and 
management  of  the  sheep  with  equal  skill  and  fidelity,, 
while  the  cost  is  nothing  but  the  time  and  trouble  of  rear- 
ing them.  They  will  not  require  to  be  fed  on  meat;  corn- 
dodgers and  milk  are  quite  sufficient  for  them. 

This  is  a  certain  and  most  excellent  way  to  break  a  shep- 
herd dog;  but  one  equally  as  effective  for  Tennessee  breed- 
ers, and  less  troublesome,  is  to  have  the  puppy  accompany 
the  flock-master  whenever  he  goes  about  his  sheep,  say 
twice  or  thrice  a  day.  The  pup  will  soon  become  accus- 
tomed to  them,  and,  with  a  little  practice  each  time,  the 
flock- master  can  soon  make  him  drive  a  flock  in  any  direc- 
tion. These  dogs  have  a  natural  instinct  to  drive  stock  of 
all  kinds.  This  is  as  marked  in  the  shepherd  dog  as  hunt- 
ing or  standing  birds  is  to  the  setter  or  pointer,  and  it  only 
requires  a  little  patience  and  care  to  make  a  pretty  fair  dog 
out  of  any  thoroughbred  puppy  of  this  breed. 

After  all,  if  the  sheep-raiser  gives  the  proper  care  and 
attention  to  his  sh<  op  which  they  ought  to  have — and  if  he 
does  not  do  so,  he  »ught  not  to  embark  in  the  business — 
there  is  no  necessity  of  his  losing  his  sheep  by  dogs.  Mr. 
Cockrill,  who  has  ;i  large  flock  within  three  or  four  miles 


[152] 

of  Nashville,  told  the  writer  that  he  never  lost  any  sheep 
by  dugs.  When  asked  how  he  avoided  it,  he  replied  that 
he  always  kept  a  shotgun  ready,  and  whenever  a  dog  came 
abound  his  premises  he  killed  him.  His  neighbors  who 
had  dogs,  understood  this,  and  kept  them  at  home,  and 
even  the  dogs  themselves,  he  said,  by  a  sort  of  instinctive 
perception  of  what  would  be  their  fate  if  they  approached 
too  near,  concluded  to  keep  away. 

WHAT   OUR  CORRESPONDENTS  SAY  ABOUT   DOGS — ANSWERS  TO  OUR  CIRCU- 
LARS ON  THE  DOG  QUESTION. 

C.  T.  P.  Jarnagin,  Mossy  Creek,  Jefferson  county:  Any  dogs  killing 
sheep?  Answer:  Their  name  is  legion.  Dogs  at  a  premium.  We  are 
afraid  toraise  sheep. 

W.  G.  Ewin,  Hurricane  Mills,  Hickman  county:  You  might  say  all 
the  dogs  in  the  county.  The  repeal  of  the  dog  law  deterred  some  from 
buying  fine  sheep  and  bringing  them  into  the  county. 

J.  A.  Turley,  Cog  Hill,  McMinn  county:  Yes!  One  hundred  head 
killed  in  the  upper  edge  of  Bradley  county  last  week,  and  a  few  killed  in 
this  viwnity  every  week. 

T.  J.  Knox,  Charleston,  Bradley  county:  Seventy-five  killed  within 
five  miles  of  this  vicinity  since  the  adjournment  of  the  Legislature. 

J.  N.  Guthrie,  Gallatin,  Sumner  county:  Since  they — the  dogs — have 
been  freed  by  our  Solons,  sheep-killing  is  on  the  increase,  and  so  are  the 
•dogs. 

G.  T.  Allman,  Cornersville:  Twenty-five  per  cent  of  our  sheep  are 
destroyed  by  dogs,  valued  at  $18,000. 

W.  Williams,  Edgefield,  Davidson  county :  Five  to  ten  per  cent,  of 
the  sheep  in  this  county  destroyed  by  dogs. 

Jno.  F.  Hauser,  Gruetli,  Grundy  county :  About  one-third  of  the 
whole  number. 

H.  C.  Williams,  Marcella  Falls,  Lawrence  county:  One-tenth  of  the 
whole  number  killed  by  dogs. 

A.  B.  Cummings,  Jonesboro,  Washington  county :  About  one-half  of 
the  whole  number. 

M.  L.  Thomas,  Sullivan  county:     One-fourth  of  the  whole  number. 

J.  T.  Keith,  Jackson,  Madison  county :  Twenty  per  cent.,  both  as  to 
number  and  value. 

N.  B.  Cheairs,  Spring  Hill,  Maury  county :  $2,500  in  value  destroyed 
by  dogs  in  our  county. 

J.  K.  J.  Blackburn,  Lynnville,  Giles  county:  Very  few  were  killed 
while  the  dog  law  was  in  force. 


[153] 

M.  A.  Hardin,  Decatnr,  Meigs  county :  We  had  very  few  killed  while 
the  dog  law  was  in  operation. 

Geo.  W.  Atchley,  Decatur,  Meigs  county :  From  one-half  to  three- 
fourths  of  the  entire  amount  of  sheep. 

Wm.  C.  Doughtenson,  Waverly,  Humphreys  county:  About  ten  per 
cent,  destroyed  by  dogs. 

J.  S.  Lindsay,  Campbell  county :  Five  hundred  head  destroyed,  worth 
$1,500. 

Elijah  Dougherty.  Johnson  county :  In  the  last  three  years  but  few, 
but  previous  to  the  dog  law  one-fourth  were  killed,  including  lambs. 
Sheep  husbandry  could  be  made  very  remunerative  in  this  country  if  it 
were  not  for  the  dogs.  I  know  no  branch  of  industry  that  would  pay  so 
well.  We  have  thousands  of  acres  lying  dormant,  that  would  make  the 
best  sheep-walks,  that  cannot  be  utilized  for  any  other  purpose.  Are  we 
never  to  have  any  protection  for  the  rearing  of  this  useful  animal? 

Geo.  T.  Allman,  Cornersville,  Giles  county:  I  think  twenty  per  cent, 
of  our  sheep  are,  annually  killed  by  worthless  dogs. 

Lorenzo  Stratton,  Grassy  Cove:  Twenty  per  cent,  of  the  sheep  of  this 
county  are  said  to  have  been  killed  by  dogs  within  the  last  thirty  days. 

J.  A.  Jones,  Cannon  county :  A  great  many.  The  dogs  commenced 
soon  after  the  dog  law  was  repealed. 

Some  of  our  sheep-raisers  have  adopted  the  plan  of  not 
permitting  the  freed  in  en  employed  by  them  on  the  farm  to 
keep  any  dogs.  They  find  it  greatly  reduces  the  number  of 
worthless  curs  prowling  around. 

A  most  effectual  method  to  stop  the  production  of  trifling 
dogs,  and  one  that  will  inflict  no  injury  on  any  one,  is  a 
law  imposing  a  tax  upon  bitches.  By  the  influence  of  such 
a  law,  the  many  worthless  curs  and  mongrels  would  be  de- 
stroyed, while  good  ones  would  be  retained.  The  fear  of 
popular  favor,  however,  renders  it  extremely  doubtful  if 
any  law  protecting  sheep  from  dogs  will  ever  be  enacted. 
It  is  strange,  too,  when  the  wool  and  meat  of  the  sheep 
clothes  and  feeds  a  large  portion  of  the  human  family,  and 
the  hair  of  the  dog  never  clothed,  nor  his  flesh  never  fed, 
any  class  but  savages. 

[From  the  New  York  "South."] 

"The  canine  onslaught  in  the  towns  and  cities,  North 
and  South,  on  account  of  the  fear  of  the  horrors  of  hydro- 


[154] 

phobia,  is  well  calculated  to  re- a  waken  inquiry  as  to  the 
cause,  consistency  and  wisdom  of  the  lenity  shown  in  vari- 
ous sections  of  the  country,  to  curs  of  various  degrees.  A 
late  Tennessee  correspondent  of  the  Cincinnati  Commercial 
makes  a  fair  exhibit  of  the  too  prevalent  folly  in  this  re- 
gard. Tennessee  has  recently  chosen  to  stand  by  the  dog, 
instead  of  the  sheep.  And  taking  the  population  of  the 
two  States  as  a  basis  of  comparison,  this  correspondent  finds 
that  there  are  nine  dogs  in  Tennessee  to  one  in  Ohio.  In 
Ohio  there  is  but  one  dog  to  every  twenty- seven  people, 
and  as  for  sheep,  there  are  forty-six  sheep  in  that  State  to 
one  dog.  The  Ohio  farmers  annually  receive  over  twelve 
millions  of  dollars  for  their  wool  and  mutton.  On  an 
average  the  farmers  of  every  county  of  Ohio  receive  over 
one  hundred  thousand  dollars  cash,  annually,  for  their  sur- 
plus wool  and  mutton. 

"There  is  nothing  within  the  domain  of  agriculture  in 
which  the  permanent  interest  of  even  the  average  farmer 
may  be  more  essentially  promoted  than  by  sheep- raising 
and  goat- raising.  And  yet,  on  account  of  the  strangely 
delusive  dog  detriment,  of  which  The  South  has  so  often 
complained,  indefinite  millions  of  dollars  are  annually  lost 
to  the  Southern  country,  on  account  of  the  enforced  neglect 
or  abandonment  of  sheep  culture — to  say  nothing  of  the 
dangers  and  death  from  the  most  hideous  madness — all  en- 
dured out  of  deference  to  the  dogs.  What  men  ! 

"As  the  writer  quoted  well  and  truly  says,  sheep  are  an 
emblem  of  civilization.  He  should  have  added — peace  and 
innocence.  Wherever  you  find  them  in  greatest  numbers, 
you  will  find  wealth  and  prosperity.  This  is  true  the  world 
over.  A  sheep  is  a  producer  in  two  senses:  it  produces 
both  food  and  clothing,  and  also  enriches  the  land  it  occu- 
pies more  effectually  than  can  be  done  in  any  other  way. 
And  this  destruction  among  almost  the  most  useful  of  our 
domestic  animals  is  nearly  as  much  to  be  deplored  on  ac- 
count of  the  worthless  and  wimton  character  of  the  de- 


[155] 

stroyer  and  the  utterly  defenseless  and  helpless  nature  of 
his  victim,  as  from  the  economic  view  of  the  matter.  It 
thus  seems  the  more  strange  that  measures  are  not  carried 
to  the  point  of  exterminating  this  enemy  of  the  sheep;  for 
it  is  quite  within  the  power  of  sheep-raisers  and  farmers 
generally,  legislatures  failing  them,  to  rid  themselves  effect- 
ually of  this  foe  to  their  flocks.  It  only  requires  a  little 
more  energetic  endeavor  than  has  heretofore  been  apparent 
among  farmers,  with  a  little  science  and  something  of 
method  and  combination  in  their  efforts,  to  thoroughly 
suppress  this  evil. 

"  Farmers  have  need  of  watch-dogs  to  guard  their  flocks 
and  other  property;  but  they  should  adopt  and  enforce  a 
strict  rule  among  themselves  to  tolerate  none  but  a  good 
breed — the  shepherd  dog,  heretofore  commended  in  these 
columns,  being  sufficient  for  all  ordinary  purposes.  All 
dogs  habitually  inclined  to  wander  from  home  should  be 
destroyed.  The  country  cannot  suffer  any  loss  in  the  sud- 
denness and  completeness  of  their  taking  off.  Sheep-rais- 
ing will  then  become  at  once  safe  and  one  of  the  most 
prosperous  and  agreeable  pursuits  of  the  American  agricul- 
turist. 

"Those  States,  or  parts  of  States,  in  which  the  dogs 
threaten  to  outnumber  the  people,  are,  at  best,  fostering  a 
very  crooked  agricultural  enterprise.  The  expenditure  of 
labor  and  capital  necessary  to  the  commencement  of  suc- 
cessful sheep  husbandry  is  so  small,  and  the  profits  are  so 
comparatively  large,  that  people  should  be  encouraged  to 
engage  more  extensively,  as  well  for  their  own  as  for  the 
general  good,  more  especially  as,  in  the  South  and  South- 
west, there  are  not  only  naturally  fertile  lands  that  need 
the  restorative  presence  of  the  sheep,  but  also  many  and 
vast  areas  of  land  awaiting  the  coming  of  the  shepherd  and 
the  goatherd  and  his  flocks,  and  seemingly  designed  by  na- 
ture to  enrich  him  and  the  country  through  them. 

"But  before  the  impoverished  farms,  or  the  now  worth- 


[156] 

less  wilderness  can  blossom  with  the  fleecy  whiteness  of  the 
sheep  and  the  goat,  they  must  be  protected  from  the  dogs. 
This  is  no  doubt  really  the  duty  of  the  States — a  humane 
and  economic  duty.  But  if  the  States  fail  of  their  duty  in 
the  premises,  the  farmers  must  do  it.  And  if  no  higher  or 
nobler  motive  impels  them,  let  a  mercenary  one  suffice  to 
stop  the  neglect  and  waste  of  wool  and  mutton,  and  so  pro- 
mote the  universal  increase  of  the  flocks  and  herds,  the 
wealth  of  the  nation  and  the  prosperity  of  all." 


[157] 


CHAPTER  XI. 

DISEASES   OF   SHEEP. 

The  digestive  system  of  the  sheep  is  the  most  powerful 
of  all  the  domestic  animals,  the  principal  energy  of  the 
nervous  system  being  expended  on  that  branch  of  the  organ- 
ism. The  skeleton  is  nearer  that  of  an  ox  than  any  other 
animal,  and  both  alike  are  ruminants,  that  is  "  cud  chewers." 
Perhaps  there  is  a  more  universal  ignorance  of  what  is 
"  cud  "  than  one  would  suppose.  It  is  often  thought  that 
when  the  sheep  loses  its  cud  it  is  in  great  and  imminent 
danger  of  its  life,  and  many  devices  are  resorted  to  to  avert 
so  great  a  calamity.  Now,  practically,  this  is  true  so  far  as 
the  danger  is  concerned,  but  replacing  it  with  an  artificial 
one  is  the  veriest  nonsense.  It  denotes  a  bad  condition  of 
the  digestive  organs  not  to  be  able  to  regurgitate  the  cud, 
and  unless  that  condition  is  quickly  altered  the  animal 
will  surely  die.  This  will  become  apparent  when  the 
anatomy  of  the  sheep  is  understood.  We  do  not,  however, 
deem  it  necessary  in  our  limited  space  to  give  a  detailed 
account  of  the  structure  of  the  sheep  any  more  than  is 
necessary  to  explain  the  modus  operandi  of  digestion  wherein 
it  is  different  from  other  domestic  animals.  There  is  but 
little  difference  between  this  in  sheep  and  cattle,  both  as  be- 
fore stated  being  ruminants. 

The  stomach  is  a  large  pouch,  with  irregular  sacs,  that 
however  communicate  with  each  other,  but  are  designated 
as  separate  stomachs.  There  are  four  of  these  sacs,  called 
the  rumen  or  paunch ;  reticulum  or  honeycomb  ;  omasum 
ormanyplies;  and  the  abomasium  or  rennet.  The  gullet 
or  swallow  leads  into  the  rumen  or  paunch,  and  the  gut  or 
duodenum  leads  out  from  the  rennet.  The  gullet  enters  the 


1158] 

paunch  so  near  the  honeycomb  that  the  latter  is  supposed  to 
be  a  sort  of  reservoir  to  the  paunch,  holding  the  food  for 
the  re-chewing  and  ruminating  process. 

The  act  of  rumination  is  chewing  the  cud,  and  is  ex- 
plained as  follows :  The  animal  eats  rapidly,  chewing  very 
slightly,  and  continues  until  the  paunch  and  honeycomb  are 
filled.  By  an  act  of  muscular  contraction,  under  the  will 
of  the  animal,  the  paunch  compresses  a  wad  of  the  indi- 
gested food,  and  returns  it  to  the  mouth,  where  it  is  masti- 
cated thoroughly  and  returned  to  the  paunch,  and  is  passed 
by  that  into  the  third  stomach  or  manyplies,  so  called  from 
the  number  of  plaits  or  folds  of  the  mucus  membrane  lining 
it.  Here  it  undergoes  some  unknown  preparation,  and 
passes  into  the  rennet,  where  the  gastric  juice  is  secreted, 
and  now  undergoes  true  digestion.  Sometimes  a  very  small 
quantity  of  food  is  swallowed,  and  so  well  chewed  up  that 
it  passes  directly  on  for  digestion  without  being  eructated 
for  regrinding,  and  this  is  the  case  where  meal  or  some  other 
concentrated  form  of  nutriment  is  used ;  then  they  do  not 
chew  the  "  cud,"  and  yet  are  not  sick.  The  folly  of  sup- 
posing a  piece  of  dried  beef  or  a  rag  will  serve  the  purpose 
of  a  cud  is  apparent  after  this  explanation  of  what  it  is. 
Sometimes  the  vegetable  matter  in  the  first  stomach  fer- 
ments, and  such  a  quantity  of  gas  is  generated  the  sheep 
swells  to  bursting,  and  is  utterly  unable  to  throw  up  the 
•"cud."  This  is  called 


and  is  quite  common  in  sheep  when  turned  on  a  fine,  rich 
pasture,  especially  clover.  It  is  known  by  the  large  dis- 
tension of  the  sheep,  especially  on  the  left  side.  The  size 
of  the  stomach  interferes  with  the  room  for  breathing,  con- 
sequently the  breathing  is  short,  in  fact  it  becomes  so  short 
there  is  danger  of  suffocation  unless  relief  comes  speedily. 
It  requires  something  to  stop  the  fermentation,  and  saline 
^mixture  by  chemical  reaction  on  the  acid  contents  of  the 


[159] 

stomach  will  neutralize  it,  and  the  relief  is  immediate. 
Spirits  of  ammonia,  a  teaspoon  fill  in  one-half  pint  of  water, 
given  with  a  horn  or  bottle  as  a  drench  will  be  effective.  It 
should  be  followed  up  with  a  dose  of  Epsom  salts,  to  carry 
off  the  offending  substance.  Carbonate  of  soda,  such  as  is 
used  for  making  biscuits,  will  answer  if  ammonia  cannot  be 
procured.  A  tablespoonful  every  half  hour,  until  relieved, 
should  be  given  either  in  water  or  let  the  tongue  be  pulled 
out  and  the  soda  emptied  on  its  root.  The  withdrawal  of 
the  tongue  into  the  mouth  will  carry  the  medicine  down 
the  throat.  A  bolus  of  lime  and  flour  mixed  and  greased 
with  lard,  and  pushed  down  the  throat,  is  also  effective. 
Chloroform  and  laudanum  in  equal  quantities,  a  half  tea- 
spoonful  each  every  hour  or  two  will  also  oftentimes  give 
relief.  Sometimes,  however,  the  swelling  has  progressed  so 
far  that  medicine  fails  to  give  any  relief.  Then  as  a.  dernier 
resort  the  side  must  be  punctured  with  a  trochar,  such  as 
surgeons  use  in  dropsy.  Every  doctor  has  one.  This  will 
prevent  the  escape  of  the  contents  of  the  stomach  into  the 
cavity  of  the  abdomen,  producing  thereby  inflammation  of 
the  bowels,  or  rather  peritonitis.  This  will  permit  the  gas 
to  escape,  and  then  the  saline  medicines  should  be  adminis- 
tered to  prevent  its  re-formation. 

The  intestines  of  a  sheep  are  very  long,  being  twenty- 
eight  times  longer  than  its  body,  while  those  of  man  are  only 
five  times  longer.  In  their  great  length  there  is  room  for 
many  diseases,  conspicuous  among  which  the 

TAPE- WORM 

is  most  common.  They  contract  this  disease  by  swallowing 
along  with  grass  the  eggs  that  have  been  voided  by  animals 
of  various  kinds  infested  with  them,  especially  the  dog. 
Sheep  dying  from  worms  are  found  after  death  to  have  the 
bowels  packed  full  of  them  as  if  stuffed.  The  symptoms 
are  variable,  appetite  sometimes  being  voracious,  and  again 


[160] 

refusing  food  altogether,  loss  of  condition,  and  a  morbid 
appetite  for  stones,  gravel,  ashes,  sand  and  earth.  The  dung 
becomes  soft,  losing  its  ball-shape,  and  adhering  to  its  legs 
and  tail,  making  the  shrub  appear  quite  filth)-.  This  disease 
cannot  be  prevented,  as  it  is  liable  to  come  from  wild  and 
domestic  animals  alike,  but  it  is  easily  cured.  Take  turpen- 
tine and  linseed  oil,  two  parts  of  oil  and  one  of  turpentine, 
and  mix  in  a  strong  decoction  or  tea,  made  of  worm  seed, 
and  drench  the  sheep  about  twice  a  week.  In  two  or  three 
weeks  it  will  get  well,  and  begin  to  fatten.  An  old  sheep, 
or  after  six  years  of  age,  will  not  have  them. 

THKEAD  WOEMS 

are  also  common  in  sheep.  Affected  with  these  they  will 
lose  flesh  rapidly,  and  have  diarrhsea  constantly.  The 
worms  will  be  seen  about  the  vent.  Salt  and  copperas  ad- 
ministered freely  will  soon  relieve  them,  or  if  that  does  not 
then  use  the  turpentine  and  linseed  oil.  There  are  many 
other  forms  and  kinds  of  worms,  but  the  treatment  is  the 
same.  They  must  be  well  fed  after  treatment. 

Sheep  are  infested  with  worms  in  the  nose,  called  astrus 
ovis  (Sheep  gad-fly),  and  produced  from  the  eggs  of  a  large 
two-winged  fly.  The  frontal  sinuses  above  the  nose  in 
sheep  and  other  animals  are  the  places  where  these  worms 
live  and  attain  their  full  growth.  These  sinuses  are  always 
full  of  a  soft  white  matter,  which  furnishes  these  worms 
with  a  proper  nourishment,  and  are  sufficiently  large  for  their 
habitation,  and  when  they  have  acquired  their  destined 
growth  in  which  they  are  fit  to  undergo  their  changes  for 
the  fly-state,  they  leave  their  old  habitation,  and  falling  to 
the  earth,  bury  themselves  there,  and  then  they  are  hatched 
into  flies.  The  female,  when  she  has  been  impregnated  by 
the  male,  knows  that  the  nose  of  a  sheep  or  other  animal  is 
the  only  place  for  her  to  deposit  her  eggs  in  order  to  their 
coming  to  maturity.  The  fly  produced  from  this  worm  has 


[1611 

all  the  time  of  its  life  a  very  lazy  disposition,  and  does  not 
like  to  make  any  use  either  of  its  legs  or  wings.  Its  head 
and  corslet  together  are  about  as  long  as  its  body,  which  is 
composed  of  five  rings,  streaked  on  the  back,  a  pale  yellow 
and  brown  are  then  disposed  in  irregular  spots,  the  belly  is 
of  the  same  colors,  but  they  are  more  regularly  disposed, 
for  the  brown  hue  makes  three  lines,  one  in  the  middle,  and 
one  on  each  side,  and  all  the  intermediate  spaces  are  yellow. 
The  wings  are  nearly  of  the  same  length  with  the  body,  and 
are  a  little  inclined  in  their  position,  so  as  to  lie  upon  the 
body.  They  do  not,  however,  cover  it,  but  a  naked  space 
is  left  between  them.  The  fly  will  live  two  months  after  it 
is  first  produced,  but  will  take  no  nourishment  of  any  kind, 
and  possibly  may  be  of  the  same  nature  with  butterflies, 
which  never  take  any  food  while  living  in  that  state. 

The  treatment  for  this  affection  is  comprised  in  one  word, 
and  that  word  is  tar.  It  may  be  applied  in  any  way  to  the 
nose,  but  the  best  method  of  doing  so  is  to  bore  a  hole  in  a 
log,  fill  with  tar,  and  put  some  salt  over  it.  In  this  way  a 
hundred  sheep  will  tar  their  own  noses  in  a  few  minutes. 

SCAB 

is  a  cutaneous  disease,  owing  to  an  impurity  of  the  blood, 
and  is  most  prevalent  in  wet  lands,  or  in  rainy  seasons.  It 
is  cured  by  tobacco- water,  brimstone  and  alum  boiled  to- 
gether, and  then  rubbed  over  the  sheep.  Another  remedy 
is  to  dip  the  sheep  in  a  strong  decoction  of  tobacco,  rubbing 
it  well  into  the  wool  and  skin. 

HYTADIDS 

is  a  distemper  caused  by  bladders  of  water  gathering  in  the 
head.  No  cure  has  been  discovered. 

THE    RICKETS 

is  a  hereditary  disease,  for  which  no  antidote  is  krown.    The 
first  symptom  is  a  kind  of  light  headiness,  which  makes  the 
11 


[162] 


afflicted  sheep  appear  wilder  than  usual  when  approached. 
He  bounces  up  suddenly,  runs  to  a  distance  as  though 
pressed  by  dogs.  In  the  second  stage  the  principal  symp- 
tom is  the  sheep  rubbing  himself  against  trees,  etc.,  with  such 
fury  as  to  pull  off  his  wool  and  tear  away  his  flesh.  The 
last  stages  of  the  disease  seem  only  to  be  the  progress  of 
dissolution  after  an  unfavorable  crisis.  The  poor  animal,  as 
condemned  by  nature,  appears  stupid,  walks  irregularly 
(whence  probably  the  name  of  rickets),  generally  his  head 
down,  and  eats  little.  These  symptoms  increase  in  degree 
till  death,  which  follows  a  general  consumption,  which  ap- 
pears upon  the  dissection  of  the  carcass. 

THE    FLUX 

is  another  disease  sheep  are  subject  to.  The  best  remedy  is 
to  house  the  sheep  immediately,  keep  them  warm,  and  feed 
them  on  dry  hay,  giving  them  frequent  glysters  of  warm 
milk  and  water.  The  cause  is  either  feeding  on  wet  lands 
or  on  grass  that  has  become  mossy. 

The  popular  theory,  says  Mr.  Kandall,  is  that 

THE   GRUB 

causes  death  by  boring  through  the  bony  walls  which  sur- 
round the  brain.  This  seems  to  me  an  absurdity.  If  the 
grub  actually  penetrates  to  the  brain,  the  fact  would  be 
readily  disclosed  after  death.  The  full-grown  grub  would 
naturally  leave  an  orifice  of  considerable  diameter  through 
the  skull.  Who  has  seen  such  an  orifice?  During  the 
ascent  of  the  larvae  the  sheep  stamps,  tosses  its  head  vio- 
lently, and  dashes  away  from  its  companions  wildly  over  the 
field.  The  larvae  remain  in  the  sinuses  feeding  on  the  mu- 
<jus  secreted  by  the  membrane,  and  apparently  creating  no 
further  annoyance,  until  ready  to  assume  their  proper  form 
in  the  succeeding  spring. 

Smearing  their  noses  with  tar,  it  is  supposed,  will  keep 


[163] 

the  fly  from  depositing  its  eggs.  Blacklock  says  that  the 
larvse  may  be  dislodged  by  blowing  tobacco  smoke  through 
the  tail  of  a  pipe  into  the  nostril.  The  Mexican  shepherds 
apply  calomels  to  the  parts. 

Lambs  when  first  dropped  may  appear  strong  and  healthy, 
yet  in  a  few  days  they  begin  to  droop,  and  finally  die.  If 
you  open  the  stomach  of  such  lambs,  in  some  cases  you  will 
find  it  packed  and  distorted  with  a  hard  curd,  which  was  the 
<3ause  of  their  death.  The  remedy  is  to  feed  the  breeding 
ewes  with  some  kind  of  a  mild  alkali,  like  ashes,  for  some 
time  previous  to  their  lambs  being  dropped. 

ROT. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  fatal  diseases  with  which  sheep 
are  afflicted.  On  dissecting  sheep  that  die  of  this  disorder, 
a  great  number  of  insects  called  (  flukes '  are  found  in  the 
liver.  That  these  flukes  are  the  cause  of  the  rot  therefore 
is  evident,  but  to  explain  how  they  come  into  the  liver  is 
not  so  easy.  It  is  probable  that  they  are  swallowed  while 
in  the  egg  state.  The  eggs  deposited  in  the  tender  germ  are 
conveyed  into  the  stomach  and  intestines  of  the  animal, 
whence  they  are  received  into  the  lacteal  vessels,  carried  off 
into  the  chyle,  and  pass  into  the  blood.  Nor  do  they 
meet  with  any  obstruction  until  they  arrive  at  the  capillary 
vessels  of  the  liver.  Here  the  blood  filterates  through  the 
branches,  through  the  extreme  branches,  answering  to  those 
of  the  vina  porta  in  the  human  body.  The  receiving  vessels 
are  too  minute  to  admit  the  impregnated  ova,  which,  adher- 
ing to  the  membrane,  produce  these  animalculse  that  feed 
upon  the  liver  and  destroy  the  sheep.  They  much  resemble 
the  flat  fish  called  plaice,  and  are  sometimes  as  large  as  a  silver 
two-pence.  It  is  therefore  easy  to  conceive  that  sheep  may, 
on  wet  ground  especially,  take  multitudes  of  these  eggs  in 
their  food,  and  that  the  stomach  and  viscera  of  the  sheep 
being  a  proper  residence  for  them,  they  of  course  hatch,  and 


[1641 

appearing  in  their  fluke  or  last  state,  feed  on  the  liver  of 
of  the  animal,  and  occasion  this  disorder.  It  is  a  singular 
fact  no  ewe  ever  has  the  rot  while  she  has  a  lamb  by  her 
side.  It  may  be  that  the  impregnated  ovum  passes  into  the 
milk,  and  never  arrives  at  the  liver.  It  is  said  that  parsley 
is  a  good  remedy,  given  as  a  strong  decoction.  Salt  is  also 
a  useful  remedy ;  salt  is  pernicious  to  most  insects.  Lisle 
speaks  of  a  farmer  who  cured  his  whole  flock  by  giving 
each  sheep  a  handful  of  Spanish  salt  for  five  or  six  morn- 
ings successively.  In  wet,  warm  weather  the  prudent  farmer 
will  remove  his  sheep  from  the  lands  liable  to  rot. 

DIARRHOEA. 

This  disease  is  often  more  properly  a  nervous  than  a.  febrile 
one — in  the  former  case  a  morbid  increase  of  the  peristaltic 
motion  of  the  bowels ;  in  the  latter  an  inflammation  of  the 
mucous  coat  of  the  smaller  intestines.  It  is  brought  on  by 
sudden  change  from  dry  food  to  green,  or  by  the  introduc- 
tion of  improper  substances  into  the  stomach.  It  is  im- 
portant to  clearly  distinguish  this  disease  from  dysentery. 
In  diarrhoea  there  is  no  apparent  general  fever.  The  appe- 
tite is  good,  the  stools  are  thin  and  watery,  but  unaccom- 
panied with  slime  and  mucous  and  blood.  Confinement  to 
dry  food  for  a  day  or  two  oftentimes  suffice  for  grown  sheep. 
To  lambs,  especially  if  attacked  in  the  fall,  the  disease  is 
more  serious.  If  the  purging  is  severe,  accompanied  by 
mucous,  give  a  gentle  cathartic — half  a  drachm  of  rhubarb, 
or  an  ounce  of  Epsom  salts,  to  the  lamb.  This  should  be 
followed  by  an  astringent — say  one-fourth  ounce  of  prepared 
chalk  in  half  a  pint  of  tepid  milk  once  a  day  for  three  days, 
which  will  be  generally  sufficient.  Another  remedy  :  pre- 
pared chalk,  one  ounce ;  powdered  catechu,  half  an  ounce ; 
powdered  ginger,  two  drachms ;  powdered  opium,  half  a 
drachm ;  mix  with  half  a  pint  of  peppermint  water ;  give 
two  or  three  table-spoonsful  morning  and  night  to  sheep; 
half  that  quantity  to  a  lamb. 


[165] 

For  Dysentery — "Administer  a  couple  of  purges  of  linseed 
oil,  followed  by  chalk  and  milk,  as  in  diarrho3a,  doubling 
the  dose  of  chalk,  twenty  drops  of  laudanum,  with  ginger 
and  gentian  powder." 

For  Colic — Sometimes  called  Stretches:  Give  one-half 
ounce  Epsom  salts,  sixty  drops  of  peppermint,  one  drachm 
ginger.  Salts  alone  will  generally  effect  a  cure. 

SHEEP    TICK. 

This  troublesome  insect  infests  sheep  of  all  ages,  but  none 
so  much  as  yearlings ;  but  it  can  be  easily  and  effectually 
eradicated.  For  one  hundred  lambs  use  five  pounds  of  in- 
ferior tobacco,  or  ten  pounds  of  stems,  boil  it  for  several 
hours  ;  then  take  two  buckets  full  of  water  and  one  from 
the  boiled  liquor,  and  keep  adding  till  thirty  gallons  of  de- 
coction is  made  ;  immerse  the  lambs,  and  let  the  liquor  drain 
off  into  the  tub  again  to  avoid  waste.  About  a  week  after 
shearing,  the  ticks  will  have  left  the  ewes  and  fastened 
themselves  upon  the  lamb,  which  will  be  the  proper  time  to 
attend  to  them.  The  lambs  must  be  held  by  the  head  with 
both  hands,  and  then  dipped  to  the  ears,  using  great  care 
that  none  of  the  decoction  gets  into  the  eyes  or  mouth.  It 
will  not  be  necessary  to  dip  the  ewes.  The  tobacco  decoc- 
tion will  be  found  excellent  for  slight  wounds  of  the  skin 
and  cutaneous  irritations  from  johnswort.  "  Buchan's  car- 
bolic sheep  dip "  will  do  it  more  effectually  than  tobacco, 
and  is  less  troublesome  to  use.  Directions  are  for  the  prep- 
aration in  the  drug  stores. 

MAGGOT    FLY. 

Sheep  in  summer  are  subjected  to  extreme  annoyance 
from  flies — the  gad-fly  and  several  other  varieties.  They 
deposit  their  eggs  among  the  wool.  When  the  eggs  are 
hatched,  which  is  almost  instantaneous,  the  maggot  erodes 
the  skin,  and  soon  brings  the  adjacent  parts  into  a  fit  condi- 


[166] 

tion  for  the  reception  of  others.  The  backs  of  the  long- 
wooled  sheep  are,  from  their  exposure,  more  liable  to  be 
selected  by  the  flies  as  a  receptacle  for  their  eggs  than  the 
corresponding  parts  that  are  covered  by  a  short  thick  fleece. 
As  soon  as  the  maggot  begins  its  operations  the  sheep  be- 
comes restless  and  uneasy,  rubbing  itself  on  stones  and  trees, 
endeavoring  to  free  itself  from  the  annoyance.  If  not  re- 
lieved, death  will  inevitably  ensae.  Tar,  with  spirits  of 
turpentine,  may  be  applied  about  the  ears,  horns,  tail, 
and  to  the  parts  affected,  or  flour  of  sulphnr  mixed  with 
melted  butter.  Calomel  is  also  an  excellent  remedy  for 
this  as  for  all  sores ;  every  sheep  and  stock  raiser  should 
keep  a  bottle  of  it  on  hand.  It  is  a  cheap  and  convenient 
remedy,  and  always  ready  for  use. 

WOUNDS 

may  originate  in  a  variety  of  ways,  and  may  be  of  any  ex- 
tent. In  the  first  place,  if  the  bleeding  is  very  extensive^ 
it  must  be  stopped  by  getting  a  hold  on  the  end  of  the 
artery,  and  give  it  a  few  twists.  This  will  generally  put  a 
stop  to  it,  as  sheep  rarely  bleed  to  death.  The  wound 
should  be  washed  clean,  and  if  it  gapes  open  a  few  stitches 
should  be  taken  in  it  to  close  it  up.  It  should  then  be 
smeared  over  with  tar,  grease,  and  a  little  vitriol  mixed  with 
it.  This  will  not  only  promote  healing,  but  will  keep  off 
the  fly,  which  will  inevitably  grow  a  crop  of  maggots  on  it 
if  allowed  to  go  without.  Should  the  maggots  appear  at 
any  time,  grease  will  destroy  their  lives  at  once,  as  they 
breathe  through  pores  of  the  skin,  and  the  grease  entering 
and  stopping  these  pores  suffocates  them  at  once. 

Let  it  be  borne  in  mind,  however,  that  the  best  way  to 
cure  a  disease  is  to  prevent  it.  Let  all  care  be  taken  pos- 
sible, have  good  pastures  and  good  shelters,  and  feed  well, 
and  there  will  be  but  little  use  for  the  veterinary  surgeon. 


[167] 


DISEASES   OF   FEET. 

The  foot  of  a  sheep  is  peculiarly  liable  to  disease,  from 
the  fact  that  the  onter  horn  or  crust  is  connected  directly 
by  a  vascular  structure  to  the  bone  itself,  which  is  unlike 
the  horse,  the  latter  having  the  hoof  connected  by  means  of 
laminae,  so  that  in  the  horse  the  hoof  can  bear  a  vast 
amount  of  concussion  without  injury.  The  hoof  of  a  sheep's 
foot  grows  from  the  underlying  vascular  surface,  just  as  the 
nails  of  the  human  foot.  There  is  a  small  canal  that  opens 
out  on  the  front  of  the  foot,  about  an  inch  above  the  fork 
of  the  hoof.  This  canal  leads  backwards  and  downwards 
to  a  gland  which  secretes  mucus  that  overflows  down  be- 
tween the  toes,  keeping  them  moist.  Sometimes  this  canal 
gets  stopped  up,  and  then  ulceration  ensues,  making  the 
sheep  lame  until  it  bursts  out  and  empties  itself.  This 
canal  is  called  the  interdigital  canal,  and  if  the  sheep  i& 
seen  limping  at  any  time,  and  no  other  cause  can  be  detected 
for  it,  it  will  be  best  to  run  a  straw  or  knitting  needle  into 
the  canal. 

Foot-rot. — But  the  most  formidable  disease  of  the  foot 
is  the  foot  rot.  Being  contagious,  unless  it  is  promptly 
checked,  it  will  get  all  over  the  flock.  It  is  most  common 
in  sheep  that  run  on  wet  pastures.  The  whole  hoof  is  in- 
volved, and  unless  it  is  soon  cured  the  hoof  comes  off. 
When  sheep  are  observed  limping,  if,  on  examination,  the 
heel  and  between  the  toes  are  found  full  of  blisters,  it  may 
be  known  at  once  to  be  foot-rot.  The  feet  are  so  painful 
the  sheep  will  be  seen  walking  on  their  knees.  Many 
remedies  are  offered,  but  the  first  thing  is  to  put  them  on 
dry  pastures  so  that  remedies  will  adhere  to  the  feet.  As 
soon  as  the  disease  is  recognized,  let  all  the  dead  or  dry 
parts  be  trimmed  off,  and  then  washed  about  twice  a  week 
in  carbolic  acid  soap,  and  after  each  washing  wrap  the  foot 


[168] 

up  in  a  tow  cloth   that   has  been   dipped   in   the   following 
mixture : 

Oxide  copper 4  oz. 

Arsenic }  oz. 

Acetic  acid 3  oz. 

Honey 8  oz. 

Or  the  foot  may  be  smeared  with  the  following  mixture : 

Powdered  blue  vitriol 1  R). 

Verdigris J  R). 

Linseed  oil 1  pt. 

Pine  tar 1  qt. 

This  will  stick  to  the  foot,  and  is  very  effective. 

The  digital  canal  should  be  kept  open.  Another  method 
is  the  following,  which  can  be  more  easily  applied,  especially 
where  many  are  affected  : 

Procure  a  tub  sufficiently  large  for  two  sheep  to  stand  in 
it;  pour  into  the  tub  a  saturated  solution  of  blue  vitriol  and 
water,  as  hot  as  can  be  endured  by  the  hand  for  only  a  mo- 
ment. Have  the  liquor  about  four  inches  deep,  and  keep  it 
at  that  depth  by  frequent  additions  of  the  hot  solution.  As 
soon  as  a  sheep's  feet  are  pared  put  him  in  the  tub,  and 
hold  him  there  by  the  neck;  get  another  ready  and  stand 
him  by  the  side  of  the  first.  After  the  first  has  stood  in 
the  tub  about  five  minutes,  take  him  out  and  replace  him 
by  another,  and  so  on  till  the  whole  flock  have  been  gone 
through,  with.  I  have  always  found  this  remedy  effect  a 
perfect  cure.  The  hot  liquid  penetrates  to  every  cavity  of 
the  loot,  and,  doubtless,  has  a  more  decisive  effect  than  is 
produced  by  merely  wetting  them.  Twelve  pounds  of 
vitriol  is  sufficient  for  one  hundred  sheep. 

PELT   ROT. 

This  is  a  disease  of  the  skin,  as  the  name  implies.  It 
causes  the  premature  falling  off  of  the  wool  in  the  spring  of 
the  year. 


[169  I 

It  is  produced  by  exposure  during  the  winter,  and  low 
condition — the  latter  principally. 

Preventive. — Good  shelters  and  good  keeping.  Let  the 
wool  fluids  be  kept  healthy  and  abundant,  and  there  will  be 
no  danger  of  any  attack  from  this  disease. 


[170] 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE    STRUCTURE   AND    USES    OF  WOOL. 

Wool  is  almost  identical  in  its  structure  with  hair,  the 
only  difference  being  that  wool  is  curly  and  very  fine,  in 
contrast  to  hair,  which  is  straight  and  coarse. 

The  peculiarity  of  the  structure  of  wool,  that  causes  it  to 
"  felt/'  is,  first,  its  extreme  curliriess,  and  secondly,  its  scales. 
Hair  grows  from  the  true  skin,  passing  through  the  outer  or 
false  skin.  The  one  is  called  the  derma,  the  other  is  called 
the  epidermis.  The  hair  follicle  or  germ  is  situated  in  the 
former,  and  is  propagated  by  germs,  which  being  formed  by 
the  follicle,  the  preceding  ones  are  pushed  out  as  the  new 
ones  are  formed.  These  germs  are  in  the  shape  of  scales. 
If  it  were  possible  to  make  a  stack  of  very  minute  fish 
scales,  one  upon  another,  with  the  center  of  each  one  capped 
and  the  fifth  outer  circle  turned  up,  this  tall  stack  would 
represent  a  hair.  Looking  at  a  hair  from  one  side  with  a 
powerful  microscope,  it  looks  like  a  saw,  or  if  the  entire  hair 
is  seen  it  looks  like  a  long  cylinder  covered  with  shingles. 
Take  two  hairs  and  place  them  together,  with  the  ends  re- 
versed, and  these  scale  points  will  hang.  Rub  a  hair  be- 
tween the  fingers  and  it  will  travel  towards  the  upper  end. 
This  is  ^caused  by  the  points  of  these  scales  hanging  to  the 
fingers,  and  thus  it  is  pushed  along.  It  is  this  quality  that 
makes  wool  felt;  but  it  would  still  not  felt  well  unless  it 
was  curved.  Therefore  wool,  which  as  before  remarked  is 
curved  hair,  has  minute  waves  in  it.  These  are  caused  by 
a  regular  thickening  of  the  cortical  part  of  the  fibre,  and 
this  thickening  occurs  alternately  on  one  side  or  the  other. 
The  value  of  the  wool  depends  upon  this  curly  character,  as 
the  felting  property  is  produced  by  it.  There  is  great  dif- 
ference in  the  fineness  of  wool.  The  common  coarse  wools 


[171] 

stand  at  about  the  rate  of  5,000  to  6,000  fibres  to  the  square 
inch,  while  the  fine  Merinos  require  to  the  square  inch 
40,000  or  even  48,000.  To  show  the  effects  of  breed  upon 
the  wool  by  actual  experiment,  a  coarse  wooled  sheep  with 
only  one-twentieth  of  a  Merino  cross  in  it  had  25,000  fibres 
to  the  square  inch.  This  shows  the  great  importance  of 
having  pure  bred  sheep  for  a  certain  purpose.  It  is  said 
that  the  presence  of  one- millionth  part  of  the  blood  of  a 
coarse  sheep  is  sufficient  to  reduce  the  fineness  of  the  fleece 
perceptibly.  These  facts  are  given  to  show  the  great  ne- 
cessity of  having  absolutely  pure  breeds,  if  wool  is  the  prin- 
ciple object  of  raising  sheep. 

All  over  the  skin  of  a  sheep  are  small  glands  that  secrete 
a  mucus  called  "  yolk,"  that  keeps  the  wool  soft  and  prevents 
it  from  felting.  When  the  yolk  is  first  secreted  it  is  fluid, 
and  in  some  breeds  it  remains  so.  In  the  Merinos  it  be- 
comes stiff  and  dry,  and  adheres  to  the  wool,  adding  greatly 
to  its  weight.  This  yolk  is  an  alkaloid  substance,  and  forms 
a  sort  of  soap,  soluble  in  water.  By  its  aid  the  wool  can  be 
washed  without  soap.  This  yolk  forms  about  twenty  per 
cent,  of  the  weight  of  the  wool.  It  is  a  great  mistake,  there- 
fore, for  persons  to  wash  the  wool  to  get  a  larger  price,  as 
some  do.  Besides,  by  withdrawing  the  yolk  from  the  wool 
it  becomes  harsh  and  dry,  and  is  much  more  liable  to  injure 
by  felting  or  tangling.  In  some  countries  this  yolk  is  pre- 
served in  the  washing,  and  large  quantities  of  potash  are 
made  from  it.  The  presence  of  this  yolk  in  wool  is'  an  indi- 
cation of  its  superior  quality,  although  it  may  be  produced 
in  such  excessive  quantities  that  it  becomes  a  source  of  actual 
loss  to  the  manufacturer.  This  is  a  question  that  will  be 
settled  by  the  wool  grower  and  manufacturer. 

CLASSIFICATION  OF  WOOL. 

It  is  very  important  that  persons  engaging  in  wool  grow- 
ing should  acquaint  themselves  with  the  kinds  of  wool  cal- 
culated to  bring  the  highest  price;  but  it  will  be  found  a 


[172] 

difficult  matter  to  keep  up  with  the  popular  kinds,  inasmuch 
as  they  are  constantly  changing.  The  sort  of  wool  popular 
to-day  or  to-morrow,  may  be  supplanted  by  some  other 
kind  next  year. 

The  wools  are  divided  into  two  classes,  short  and  long. 
They  are  again  subdivided  into*  several  grades,  such  as  su- 
perfine, fine,  medium  and  coarse.  A  former  grade  prevailed 
of  carding  and  combing  wools,  but  from  the  great  improve- 
ment in  the  machinery  used  in  woolen  manufactures  these 
terms  have  been  well  nigh  discarded.  At  one  time  none 
but  the  Cotswold  or  kindred  wools  could  be  combed,  but 
now  the  Merino  and  Southdown  wools,  even  under  three 
inches  long,  are  included  in  the  list  of  combing  wools.  At 
one  time  the  price  of  Merino  wool  was  by  far  greater  than 
any  other  sort.  Now  the  coarse  and  common  breed  wools 
sell  for  as  much  or  more  than  the  Merino.  A  few  years  ago, 
the  Cotswold  sold  very  much  higher  than  other  breeds,  but 
the  past  year  long  wools  were  in  less  demand  than  the  South- 
downs.  There  is  never,  however,  more  than  a  few  cents  dif- 
ference in  the  prices. 

As  a  rule,  medium  wools  come  nearer  bringing  the  best 
regular  prices,  as  they  offer  a  variety  of  wool  for  both  comb- 
ing and  carding  purposes. 

It  may  be  well  to  explain  the  difference  between  the 
two. 

Combing  wool  is  the  kind  that  can  be  combed  out  into 
long  fibres,  and  thus  spun  into  thread.  It  is  joined  at  the 
ends  and  shows  no  points  of  fibres  sticking  out.  It  is  used 
for  making  cloths  that  show  the  thread,  such  as  delaines, 
cashmeres  and  others  of  like  character. 

The  Carding  wools  are  those  in  which  the  fibres  are  so 
intermingled  that  the  ends  show  in  every  direction,  and  of 
such  are  made  cloth  intended  to  be  carded  up  to  hide  the 
threads,  such  as  broadcloth,  cassirnere,  cassinet  and  hats. 
Sometimes  a  fleece  will  felt  on  the  sheep's  back.  This  is  an 
evidence  of  a  low  condition,  or  sick  sheep,  and  they  should 


[173] 

never  be  allowed  to  live  to  be  shorn  twice.     It  is  the  absence 
of  yolk  that  produces  it. 

Wool  in  its  native  condition  contains  a  large  amount  of  im- 
purities, such  as  sand,  gravel,  dirt,  dung,  twigs  of  trees,  ce- 
dar leaves  (in  cedar  countries),  and  many  other  things.  The 
purchaser,  of  course,  is  not  expected  to  pay  full  price  for  all 
these  things,  and  yet  the  grower  is  not  required  to  wash  the 
yolk  out.  For  the  purpose  of  cleansing  it  of  the  more  prom- 
inent impurities,  many  farmers  resort  to  washing.  This  is 
generally  and  better  done  before  shearing.  In  all  old  sheep 
raising  countries  it  is  looked  upon  as  a  frolic,  where  all  the 
neighbors  gather  together,  boys  and  girls,  and  make  a  frolic 
over  it.  Enough  of  the  impurities  can  be  got  out  in  this 
way  to  make  a  fair  merchantable  wool,  and  at  the  same  time 
not  destroy  the  quality.  Of  course,  let  the  seller  wash  it  as 
much  as  he  will,  it  still  must  be  washed  a  great  deal  before 
it  can  be  manufactured. 

THE  USES  OF  THE  SEVERAL  KIUDS  OF  WOOL. 

Kentucky  and  Tennessee  wools  are  identical  in  quality 
and  uses,  and  what  is  said  in  the  subjoined  article,  taken 
from  the  Rural  New  Yorker,  in  reference  to  Kentucky  wools 
will  equally  apply  to  those  of  Tennessee : 

"There  is  always  a  satisfaction  to  the  producer  of  raw  ma- 
terial in  learning  the  uses  to  which  his  products  are  to  be 
put  when  manufactured.  Many  people  keep  different  breeds 
of  sheep,  and  have  often  but  a  misty  notion  of  the  purposes 
to  which  the  wool  of  each  variety  is  applied.  In  this  con- 
nection, Leonard  Drane  lately  read,  at  the  annual  meeting 
of  the  Kentucky  Wool- Growers7  Association,  an  address  on 
wool  and  its  classification  for  market.  Besides  a  full  ac- 
count of  the  special  subject  which  he  proposed  to  treat  of, 
the  speech  was  rich  in  other  information  connected  with 
sheep  husbandry,  and  we  have  therefore  here  condensed  it 
for  the  benefit  of  our  readers. 


[174] 

"It  has  been  asked  of  manufacturers,  '  What  is  the  most 
pressing  necessity  of  your  manufantue?'  and  answered,  '  We 
want  more  domestic  wool ; '  but  I  would  say,  we  want  more 
domestic  wool  improved  to  suit  the  manufacturer.  There 
are  forty- six  mills  in  the  United  States  that  use  foreign  wool 
entirely,  and  seven  hundred  and  sixty- seven  that  use  botli 
domestic  and  foreign  wool,  or  nine  hundred  and  thirty-one 
mills  using  seventy  per  cent,  of  foreign  wool.  Would  man- 
ufacturers import  wool  if  they  were  supplied  at  home  with 
the  various  kinds  they  want  to  use  ?  They  would  not. 

"  I  have  condensed  the  uses  of  wool  into  three  classes 
from  Mr.  J.  L.  Hays7  report  to  the  Department  of  Agricul- 
ture in  1872.  Merino  wool  is  used  in  opera  arid  common 
flannels,  blankets,  shawls,  shirts,  vests,  skirts,  drawers,  car- 
digans, hose,  fancy  cassi meres,  meltons,  overcoatings,  light 
coatings,  fancy  cloakings,  some  varieties  of  delaines,  co- 
burgs,  cashmeres,  ladies'  dress  goods,  and  all  mixtures  of 
wool  with  shoddy ;  the  longest  and  finest  Merino  wools  are 
used  to  carry  wool  substitutes.  The  peculiar  excellence  of 
Merino  wools  is  found  in  the  soundness  and  strength  of  all 
goods  they  are  used  in. 

''  Combing  wools  are  used  in  shawls,  fancy  knit  goods, 
ladies'  fancy  cloakings,  serges,  moreens,  alpacas,  cloth  lin- 
ings, mohair  lusters,  lasting,  damasks  for  furniture,  furni- 
ture covering,  curtains,  table-cloths,  reps  for  furniture  and 
curtains,  webbing  for  reins,  girths,  suspenders,  flags,  mili- 
tary sashes,  cords  and  tassels,  nubias,  braids,  bindings,  etc., 
etc. 

"  Coarse  wools  are  used  in  common  flannels,  blankets,  also 
the  noils  of  combing  wool.  The  warps  of  ingrain  carpets, 
two  or  three-ply,  consume  our  coarsest  long  wools;  the 
shortest  stapled  coarse  wools  are  used  for  filling. 

" We  should  grow  in  Kentucky  best  pure  Lincolnshire 
Cotswold,  Ramboullet  Merinos,  and  Southdowns,  and  cross 
them  on  our  native  sheep  and  each  other  until  we  establish 
new  races.  Kentucky  stands  fourteenth  in  the  number  of 


[175] 

sheep,  compared  to  other  States  in  1876 — Indiana,  1,250,000  ; 
Iowa,  1,663,900 ;  Missouri,  1,284,200 ;  Wisconsin,  1,62,800 ; 
Illinois,  1,31 1,000;  Michigan,  3,450,600;  California,  6,750,- 
000;  Kentucky,  683,600;  in  the  United  States,  30,000,000 
to  36,000,000.  There  are  three  States  that  have  more  sheep 
than  Kentucky  produces  pounds  of  wool.  No  animal  pays 
better  profit.  The  clip  of  the  United  States  for  1876  was 
about  200,000,000;  of  England,  Ireland,  and  Scotland,  about 
162,000,000,  mostly  combing;  of  the  continent  of  Europe, 
about  462,000,000;  of  Australasia,  about  350,000,000;  of 
Buenos  Ayres  and  Eiver  La  Plata,  about  207,000,000. 
These  are  the  principal  wool-growing  countries  of  the  world, 
and  produced  1,282,000,000  out  of  the  estimated  1,419,000,- 
000  on  the  entire  globe. 

"  The  value  of  all  kinds  of  wool  is  determined  by  its 
strength,  luster,  working  qualities  and  shrinkage.  Wool  is 
divided  by  governments  for  tariff,  and  wool  merchants,  into 
three  classes :  Clothing,  Combing,  and  Carpet,  and  is  pro- 
duced in  quantities  in  this  order.  Kentucky  wool  should 
be  classed  as  combing,  delaine,  medium  coarse  and  black. 
Wool  merchants  separate  each  division  into  as  many  classes 
as  there  are  distinct  qualities  of  staple  in  each  division,  to 
suit  the  purchaser.  Manufacturers  take  the  fleeces,  putting 
them  into  as  many  classes  as  there  are  distinct  qualities  of 
staple  in  each  fleece,  according  to  its  length,  color,  luster, 
etc.,  except  the  gumming  locks,  which  they  will  not  buy  un- 
washed. 

"Clothing  wool  is  generally  divided  into  three  classes — 
fine,  medium  and  coarse.  The  average  price  for  fifty-three 
years,  since  1824,  for  each  class,  per  washed  pound,  is  for 
fine,  61  Jc.;  medium,  56Jc. ;  coarse,  51c.,  or  nearly  5jc.  per 
pound  less  on  each  class  as  it  grows  coarser.  Average  price 
per  washed  pound  Australian  in  London,  from  1862  to  1870, 
inclusive,  as  estimated  by  Mr.  Bond,  43jc.  gold.  Counting 
freights,  commission,  etc.,  for  same  period,  the  average  price 
in  currency  for  washed  Australian,  would  be  80c.  per  pound 


[176] 

in  New  York,  or  19c.  more  than  any  of  our  clothing  wools, 
and  29c.  more  than  for  our  coarse  wools.  Card  or  X  wools 
are  required  to  be  fine,  short  in  staple,  (  full  of  spiral  curls 
and  serratures.'  Combing  wool  consists  in  drawing  out  the 
fibres  straight  and  parallel ;  then  twisting  into  yarn,  called 
worsted,  'the  ends  in  spinning  being  covered,  make  the  yarn 
smooth  and  lustrous/  The  staple  should  be  generally  five 
to  eight  inches  long,  having  a  few  'spiral  curls  and  serra- 
tures,'  with  distinct  luster. 

"  These  qualities  are  found  in  the  English  in  their  order 
of  perfection,  as  follows — The  Lincolnshire,  Leicester  and 
Cotswold  breeds.  Delaine  wools  are  shorter  and  finer,  and 
can  be  used  as  short  as  2J  inches,  but  it  must  be  very  fine 
and  nice.  The  coarser  the  staple  the  longer  it  must  be. 
These  are  not  classed  in  the  trade  as  combing  wools.  There 
are  fine,  medium,  and  coarse  combing  wools.  The  duty  on 
this  wool  will  equal  lie.  per  pound,  and  ten  per  cent,  ad 
valorum.  Poorly- bred  wools  are  very  objectionable,  hav- 
ing long,  coarse,  pen-pointed  tops,  with  a  fine  downy  bot- 
tom and  coarse  uneven  fibres.  These  are  generally  sold  for 
carpet  wools.  I  need  only  say  to  the  wool  growers  of  this 
State  that  there  is  a  wider  field  in  the  expansion  of  combing 
wool  fabrics  than  your  imagination  can  take  in." 


[177] 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

STATE    STATISTICS    AND    PRESENT    CONDITION    OF    SHEEP 
HUSBANDRY. 

During  the  fall  of  1878  I  sent  circulars  to  the  most  prom- 
inent sheep  raisers  of  every  county  in  the  State,  asking  for 
certain  specific  information  in  relation  to  sheep  husbandry. 
Although  no  replies  were  returned  from  many  of  the  coun- 
ties, yet  questions  enough  were  answered  to  give  a  very 
correct  idea  of  the  present  condition  of  sheep  husbandry  in 
this  State.  As  to  the  number  of  sheep  in  each  county, 
there  were  no  means  by  which  this  could  be  determined,  as 
our  assessment  laws  do  not  require  assessors  to  return  the 
number  of  domestic  animals.  This  much,  however,  is  made 
apparent  in  the  answers :  that  an  earnest  effort  is  making 
to  improve  the  character  of  the  flocks,  both  as  to  mutton 
and  wool.  Nearly  every  county  reports  the  existence  of 
high  graded  flocks.  The  Southdowns  preponderate,  the 
Cotswolds  coming  next,  and  the  Merinos  third.  A  few 
Leicester  flocks  are  named,  and  some  few  good  breeders  in 
the  State  give  them  the  preference  over  all  others.  An- 
other prominent  fact  is  brought  out,  and  that  is  the  very 
small  annual  cost  of  keeping  sheep.  Ouly  two  report  the 
annual  cost  as  high  as  $2.00  per  head  ;  thirteen  above  $1.00 
to  $1.50;  twelve  the  cost  to  be  $1.00;  and  twenty-three 
that  the  cost  of  keeping  is  below  $1.00,  in  some  instances 
reaching  as  low  a  figure  as  33J  cents.  Taking  the  aver- 
age of  each  of  the  three  divisions  of  the  Scate,  I  find  that 
the  annual  cost  of  keeping  sheep  in  East  Tennessee  is  $1.12; 
in  Middle  Tennessee  90  cents,  and  in  West  Tennessee  67 
cents.  This  arises  from  the  fact  that  the  climate  is  more 
rigorous  in  the  elevated  regions  of  East  Tennessee  than  in 
the  lower  ones  of  Middle  and  West  Tennessee.  The  aver- 
12 


[178] 

age  elevation  of  East  Tennessee,  including  the  mountainous 
portions,  is  not  far  from  1,500  feet ;  of  Middle  Tennessee, 
also  including  portions  of  the  Cumberland  plateau,  1,000 
feet;  while  the  elevation  of  West  Tennessee  will  hardly 
reach  500  feet,  thus  making  a  very  perceptible  difference  in 
the  number  of  cold  days,  and  in  the  length  of  time  between 
killing  frosts  and  the  consequent  duration  of  green  food. 
It  has  long  been  a  well  established  fact  that  lambs  are  at 
least  a  month  earlier  in  West  Tennessee  than  in  Middle, 
which  can  only  be  attributed  to  the  fact  of  milder  winters 
prevailing  in  West  Tennessee,  which  induce  very  early 
growth  of  green  grass. 

Another  fact  is  disclosed  in  these  questions  of  paramount 
value  to  the  sheep  husbandman,  and  that  is  where  improved 
breeds  have  been  introduced,  lambs  bring  in  the  market 
nearly  double  the  price  they  do  where  only  natives  or 
low  grades  are  bred.  Not  only  do  the  lambs  of  well-bred 
sheep  pay  better,  but  the  wool  commands  a  readier  sale  at 
increased  prices.  It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  prices 
given  in  this  schedule  were  those  of  1878,  when  wool  was 
at  its  minimum  price.  Since  that  time  there  have  been  a 
wonderful  improvement  in  price,  and  a  much  greater  stim- 
ulus given  to  sheep  husbandry. 

The  answers  given  to  the  question  as  to  the  yield  of  wool 
are  not  so  gratifying.  While  the  high  grades  yield  from 
six  to  twelve  pounds,  the  amount  reported  from  the  native 
sheep  varies  from  one  to  four  pounds.  Here  is  the  field  for 
improvement.  Our  native  flocks  must  be  bred  up  until 
they  shall  make  an  average  of  at  least  five  pounds  per  head. 
The  demand  for  wool  will,  in  all  probability,  be  greatly  in- 
creased during  the  next  few  years,  and  our  farmers  should 
seize  the  opportunity  to  increase  the  wool- producing  quali- 
ties of  their  flocks. 

The  want  of  woolen  factories  is  also  made  painfully  con- 
spicuous in  the  replies  to  the  interrogatory  asking  for  in- 
formation on  that  subject.  Only  sixteen  are  given,  and  yet 


[179] 

the  supply  of  wool  for  several  years  past  could  not  have 
been  less  than  2,000,000  pounds  annually.  This  has  had 
to  seek,  in  a  majority  of  cases,  a  market  beyond  the  county 
where  it  is  raised.  With  so  many  fine  water  powers  in  the 
State,  home  capital  would  find  a  rich  reward  in  working  up 
our  supply  of  wool  into  such  fabrics  as  are  demanded  to 
clothe  our  population.  Other  replies  to  this  question  are 
more  to  be  deplored.  I  refer  to  those  which  indicate  that 
wool  enough  is  not  grown  in  the  county  to  supply  local  de- 
mand. There  is  not  a  county  in  the  State  in  which  the 
farmers  cannot  raise  wool  enough  to  clothe  the  inhabitants 
at  a  less  cost  than  so  many  pounds  of  cotton  would  be. 
Take  the  average  annual  cost  of  keeping  sheep,  which  for 
the  State  is  not  far  from  80  cents  per  head,  and  credit  each 
with  3J  pounds  of  wool,  the  average  of  all  breeds,  and  at 
present  prices  there  will  be  an  actual  profit  of  95  cents  on 
each  sheep  kept,  disregarding  entirely  the  value  of  lambs, 
which  would  add  nearly  double  as  much,  assuming  the 
greater  part  of  the  flock  to  be  ewes.  A  neglect  by  the 
farmers  of  our  State  to  see  and  appreciate  these  facts  is  not 
encouraging,  especially  when  persons  from  every  part  of  the 
United  States  are  now  seeking  for  locations  in  the  State  for 
the  purpose  of  engaging  in  sheep  husbandry.  Never  was 
the  time  more  propitious  for  seizing  upon  this  industry  and 
pushing  it,  which  can  be  made  more  remunerative  in  pro- 
portion to  the  capital  employed  than  any  other  occupation 
in  the  State. 

Continuing  the  analyses  of  the  answers  given  to  the  sched- 
ule, I  find  a  discouraging  item  in  the  large  number  of  sheep 
that  have  fallen  a  prey  to  the  ruthless  curs  that  prowl  and 
growl  and  howl  through  the  State.  A  very  cursory  glance 
at  the  replies  to  the  question  as  to  the  number  of  sheep  an- 
nually destroyed  by  dogs  will  serve  to  show  that  not  less 
than  7,000  are  annually  immolated  upon  the  altar  of  caninal 
affection.  These  7,000  sheep  would  clothe  comfortably 
7,000  persons,  and  feed  2,000  more,  and  yet  the  182,000 


[180] 

dogs  in  the  State  are,  in  the  estimation  of  many  persons, 
worth  more  than  the  1,000,000  head  of  sheep,  which  supply 
food  and  raiment  to  nearly  as  many  people.  The  intelli- 
gence of  the  State  should  make  an  earnest  endeavor  to  cor- 
rect public  sentiment  in  this  regard,  and  give  greater  pro- 
tection to  a  species  of  property  so  necessary  to  man's  com- 
fort and  welfare. 

It  is  very  gratifying  to  know  that  no  virulent  disease, 
have  ever  infested  the  flocks  in  this  State.  Foot- rot,  braxy, 
water  in  the  head,  and  numerous  other  diseases,  are  almost 
unknown  in  this  latitude.  Old  age  and  dogs  are  almost  the 
only  enemies  to  our  flocks.  The  first  is  inevitable ;  the  last 
may  be  corrected  by  legislation,  supported  by  an  enlightened 
public  sentiment. 

The  explanation  of  the  appended  schedule  is  very  simple. 
The  numbers  adjacent  to  the  name  of  each  person  are  placed 
adjacent  to  the  answers  given  by  that  person  under  all  the 
questions.  The  county  to  which  the  answer  refers  can  be 
ascertained  by  turning  to  the  list  of  names,  and  looking  at 
the  number  corresponding  to  the  answer.  A  careful  study 
of  this  schedule  will  well  repay  the  time  employed,  and 
give  specific  answers  to  questions  concerning  sheep  hus- 
bandry in  the  counties  reported. 


SCHEDULE  OF  QUESTIONS  SENT  OUT  AND  ANSWEKS 
EECEIVED. 


i 

NAMES  OF  CORRESPONDENTS. 

POSTOFFICES. 

COUNTIES. 

1 

Thos   G   Mosley       

Bellbuckle      

Bedford 

2 

W  P    Smallwood    

Paris   

Henry 

3 

H    F   Coleman  

New  Sedalia  

Hancock 

4 

W  P  Gass  

Washington  

Rhea. 

5 

John  H  Cole  

Waynesboro  

Wayne. 

6 

G  W   Bovd  

Wayne  Furnace  

Wayne. 

7 

D.  M  Jones  

Sharon  Station  

Weakley. 

8 

T.  J.  Little  

Weakley. 

9 

John  S.  Claybrooke  

Williamson. 

10 

A.  B.  Cnmmings  

Jonesboro  

Washington. 

11 

J  N  Gurthrie 

Gallatin 

Sumner 

r>, 

Jas  M    Head  M  D 

Gallatin 

Sumner 

13 

John  B  Baker 

Gallatin 

Sumner 

14 

F   F  Pierce 

Gallatin 

Sumner 

15 

M    L  Thomas 

Sullivan. 

16 

K  A    Salisbury                  .     . 

Stewart. 

17 

Jas   M  Stewart.  .  .          ...    . 

Dunlap 

Sequatchie. 

18 

John  Alley 

Walnut  Valley   . 

Sequatchie. 

19 

J  W    Fort     .              

Sadlersville 

Robertson. 

20 

C.  C    Bell      

Springfield 

Robertson. 

:>1 

W.  D.  Browder  

Half  Moon  Island. 

Roane. 

M 

J.  F.  Campbell  

Murfreesboro   ... 

Rutherford. 

•23 

E.  Boyd  

Benton  

Polk. 

24 

W.  H.  Caldwell  

Rives  

Obion. 

2o 

J.  D.  Goodpasture  

Livingston  

Overton, 

26 

H.  H.  Matlock  ,  

Riceville  

McMinn. 

27 

H.  B.  Topling  

Purdv  

McNairy. 

28 

Decatur  

Meigs. 

29 

Geo.  W.  Atchley  

Decatur  

Meigs. 

30 

E   F   Sham 

Ten  Miles  Stand 

Meigs 

31 

A  E    Reid 

Denmark 

Madison 

32 

John  Y  Keith   

Jackson 

M^adison 

33 

Stephen  L  Ross    

Lexington., 

Henderson 

34 

John  J  Boon  

Jackson 

Henderson 

36 

N.  B  Cheairs  

Spring  Hill    ... 

Maury 

3<> 

J.  C.  Kelso     

Favetteville 

Lincoln 

37 

A.O.Williams  

Marcella  

Lawrence. 

38 

R.  S.  Bradford  

Tiptonville   

Lake. 

39 

Robt.  C.  Nail  

Tiptonville  

Lake. 

40 

John  C.  Mosley  

Ripley  

Lauderdale. 

41 

Jas.  M.  Swain  

Holt's  Corner  

Marshall. 

42 

Geo.  T.  Allman  

Cornersville  

Marshall. 

43 

Tazewell  

Claiborne. 

44 

Baker's  Gap  

Johnson. 

45 

Pinckney  McCarver 

Flyn's  Lick 

Jackson 

46 

C.  T.  P.  Jarnagin... 

Mossy  Creek..., 

Jefferson. 

[182] 
SCHEDULE  OF  QUESTIONS—  Continued. 


£ 

NAMES  OF  CORRESPONDENTS. 

POSTOFFICES. 

COUNTIES. 

47 
48 
49 
50 
51 
52 
53 
54 
55 
56 
57 
58 
59 
60 
61 
62 
63 
64 
65 
66 
67 
68 
69 
70 
71 

W.  C.  Doughtenson  

Waverly  

Humphreys. 
Humphreys. 
Humphreys. 
Haywood. 
Hamilton. 
Hickman. 
Fayette. 
Giles. 
Grundy. 
DeKalb. 
Dyer. 
Davidson. 
Davidson. 
Campbell. 
Coffee. 
Clay. 
Bradley. 
Bledsoe. 
Williamson. 
Crockett. 
;  Jackson. 
Montgomery. 
!  Cumberland. 
Claiborne. 
[Madison. 

Hillman  Ewin 

Hurricane  Mills 

Thos  V  Eskridge 

Bold  Springs 

D  P  Williams 

Brownsville 

Tom  Crutchfield 

Chattanooga 

T    S  Easley      

Centreville 

Jas    R   Morlv       . 

Somerville 

J.  K    P.  Blackburn 

Lynnville 

John  F    Hauser  

Gruetli                     .  . 

J.  T.  Trapp 

Smithville 

Louis  M.  Williams 

Henburn 

Wm.  Williams  

Edgefield  

E.  D.  Hicks  

Nashville  

J.  S.  Lindsay    

Jacksboro  

Michael  Hoover  

Viola  

John  L.  Maxev  

Celina  

T.  J.  Knox.....".  

Charleston  

Jas.  S.  Pope  

Stephen's  Chapel  

F.  M.  Lavender  

Franklin  

G.  W.  &  D.  A.  Walker  
Geo.  H.  Morgan  

Friendship  

Gainsboro  

M.  G.  Gholson  

Clarksville  

T  4t)r&r\7:C>  Strjvtton 

Grassy  Cove 

A.  S  Snow 

Tazewell 

E    M  Betts 

fTlavlvrnnlr 

[183] 


QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWEKS. 

What  is  the  estimated  number  of  sheep  in  your  county? 

1.  10,000  or  15,000.  36. 

2.  No  answer.  37. 

3.  Between  5,000  and  7,000.  38. 

4.  No  answer.  39. 

5.  About  3,000.  40. 

6.  4,000.  41. 

7.  Have  no  idea,  but  less  in  pro-  42. 

proportion  to  other  stock.  43. 

8.  Have  no  means  of  ascertaining.  44. 

9.  About  15,000.  45. 

10.  About  6,000.  46. 

11.  10,000  of  all  breeds  and  grades.  47. 

12.  5,000.  48. 

13.  Cannot     answer,     but     suppose  49. 

about  3,000  or  4,000.  50. 

14.  Estimated  at  15,000  to  20,000.  51. 

15.  No  answer.  52. 

16.  No  answer.  53. 

17.  2,500.  54. 

18.  1,200.  55. 

19.  7,000.  56. 

20.  About  10,000.  57. 

21.  3,000.  58. 

22.  About  8,000.  59. 

23.  5,000.  60. 

24.  12,000.  61. 

25.  15,000.  62. 

26.  No  answer.  63. 

27.  No  answer.  64. 

28.  5,000.  65. 

29.  About  1,000.  66. 

30.  About  2,000.  67. 

31.  No  answer.  68. 

32.  15,000.  69. 

33.  Not  able  to  answer.  70. 

34.  No  answer.  71. 

35.  20,000. 


No  answer. 

No  answer. 

600. 

600  or  over. 

1,000  to  2,000. 

3,500  to  4,000. 

20,000. 

No  answer. 

About  8,000. 

2,000. 

1,000. 

20,000. 

No  data  to  go  by. 

Do  n't  know. 

2,000  to  2,500. 

Am  not  advised. 

8,000  to  12,000. 

A  good  many  small  flocks. 

About  2,000 'to  2,500. 

1,000  to  1,500. 

About  20,000. 

A  number  of  small  flocks. 

Do  n't  know. 

4,000. 

7,000. 

No.  answer. 

12,000. 

6,000. 

Do  not  know. 

Do  not  know. 

About  3,000. 

About  2,500. 

Have  no  means  of  knowing. 

Do  not  know. 

Cannot  answer. 

5,000. 


What  breed  of  sheep  are  best  adapted  to  your  soil  and 
climate  ? 


1.  Merino,     Cotswold,     Leicester, 

Southdown,  all  do  well. 

2.  No  answer. 

3.  Cotswold,  Southdown. 

4.  No  answer. 

5.  A  cross  of  the  Southdown  and 

Cotswold. 


6.  Cotswold  and  Southdown. 

7.  Southdown,    but    any    will    be 

healthy. 

8.  The  only'breed  in  the  county  is 

scrub. 

9.  Southdown    and    the    common 

native  breeds. 


[184] 


10.  The  old   common  stock  crossed 

with  Cotswold. 

11.  Southdowns,  good  medium  wool, 

best  mutton,  long  lived. 

12.  All  breeds  thrive  and  do  well. 

13.  Native  the  hardiest,  crossed  with 

Southdown. 

14.  Southdown  and  Cotswold.     All 

breeds  do  well. 

15.  No  answer. 

16.  No  answer. 

17.  No  answer. 

18.  Southdown. 

19.  Merino  and  Southdown. 

20.  Southdown. 

21.  Merino. 

22.  No  answer. 

23.  Common  stock. 

24.  Southdown    is    considered    the 

best  improved  breed. 

25.  Leicester  crossed  with  Cotswold. 

26.  Grade  Cotswold. 

27.  All  breeds  thrive  well. 

28.  Southdown. 

29.  Cotswold. 

30.  My  flock  are  all  Merinos.    They 

are  doing  well. 

31.  All   kinds  do  well   if   attended 

to. 

32.  Cotswold  and  Southdown. 

33.  All  kinds  that  have  been  tried 

do  well. 

34.  Cotswold  and  Southdown. 

35.  Cotswold  and  Shropshire. 

36.  No  answer. 

37.  Southdown  and  Merino. 

38.  No  answer. 

39.  None  but  natives  in  this  section. 

40.  No  answer. 

41.  Southdown. 

42.  Cotswold  and  Southdown. 

43.  Southdown. 


44.  No  answer. 

45.  Southdown,  Leicester. 

46.  Native  crossed  with  Cotswold. 

47.  Southdown  the  hardiest. 

48.  Southdown. 

49.  Cotswold  and  Southdown  crossed 

with  natives. 

50.  Cotswold,  Southdown  and   Me- 

rino. 

51.  All  the  improved  breeds  do  well 

with  proper  care. 

52.  Southdown  and  Cotswold. 

53.  No  answer.. 

54.  All  descriptions  do  well. 

55.  Southdown. 

56.  Cotswold  and  Southdown. 

57.  Southdown  and  Leicester. 

58.  The  large  breeds  not  so  well  as 

small. 

59.  Southdowns,  and  their  grades  on 

native  sheep. 

60.  Southdowns  are  supposed  to  be 

the  best. 

61.  Cotswolds  and  Southdowns. 

62.  Not    tested.      Southdowns    and 

Cotswold    have    been    intro- 
duced. 

63.  The  Kentucky  improved,  which 

is  a  breed  between  the  Merino 
and  Cotswold. 

64.  All  kinds  do  well. 

65.  Southdowns  and  Merino. 

66.  Cotswold  and  Southdown. 

67.  Think  it  good   for   almost  any 

kind  raised. 

68.  The   cross  of    Southdowns  and 

Cotswolds       upon      common 
sheep. 

69.  Sheep  of   a   Spanish  origin  de- 
cidedly. 

70.  Southdown. 

71.  Southdown. 


What  are  the  principal  breeds  now  raised  by  your  farmers? 


1.  Native   crossed    upon  Cotswold 

and  Southdown. 

2.  Cotswold,  Southdown    and    na- 

tive. 

3.  Cotswold  and  Southdown. 

4.  No  answer. 

5.  Three-fourths  common  or  scrub. 

6.  Scrub  stock. 

7.  Native  scrub. 

8.  Scrub,  with  few  exceptions. 


9.  Cotswold,       Southdown,        and 
crosses  from  them. 

10.  Common,  Cotswold  and  South- 

down. 

11.  Scrubs  and  cross  breeds. 

12.  Southdown,  Cotswold  and  native 

13.  All  kinds. 

14.  Southdowns  and  Cotswold. 

15.  Cotswold,  Southdown  and    Me- 

rino. 


[185] 


16.  A  cross  with   native  and    Cots- 

wold. 

17.  Common  scrub  stock,  with  few 

improved  breeds. 

18.  Principally  scrubs. 

19.  The  majority  are  common  breeds 

20.  Southdown  and  Cotswold  grades 

21.  Scrub,  Merino,  Cotswold. 

22.  Low   grade    principally.     Cots- 

wold bucks  used. 

23.  No  variety.     No  special  interest 

taken  in  sheep  raining. 

24.  Common  breeds. 

25.  Common    stock,    Leicester    and 

Cotswold. 

26.  Cotswold  and  common. 

27.  Southdown,  Oxford-Down,  Cots- 

wold and  common. 

28.  Scrub,  Cotswold,  Merino. 

29.  Common,  Cotswold,  Merino. 

30.  Native  stock. 

31.  Southdown,  some  Cotswold  aud 

common. 

32.  Mostly  scrub.     A  few  Cotswold 

and  Southdown. 

33.  Common      principally.       Some 

Southdown. 

34.  Common. 

35.  Southdown,  Cotswold  grades. 

36.  Grade  sheep. 

37.  Native,    Southdown,    and    Cots- 

38.  Mostly  native  sheep. 

39.  Native. 

40.  Common  sheep. 

41.  Southdown    are    becoming    the 

principal  sheep. 

42.  Cotswold    and    Southdown.     A 

few  Merinos. 

43.  Old  stock. 


44.  Old  native  or  mountain  stock. 

45.  Southdown,  Leicester  and  com- 

mon. 

46.  Native.     Some  improved  breeds. 

47.  Common  scrub. 

48.  Southdown  and  Cotswold. 

49.  The  majority  old  stock. 

50.  Common,  Cotswold  and  South- 

down. 

51.  Native.    Some  improved  breeds. 

52.  Rocky  mountain,  or  scrub. 

53.  But  little  attention  paid  to  this 

industry. 

54.  Southdown,   Cotswold,    Merino, 

scrub. 

55.  Cross  with  the  Merino  and  na- 

tive sheep. 

56.  A  mixture  of  all  breeds. 

57.  Scrubs,  being  crossed  with  im- 

proved breeds. 

58.  Natives  and  improved. 

59.  Scrubs. 

60.  A   majority   scrubs,    some    im- 

proved breeds. 

61.  Cotswold  and  Southdown. 

62.  Common  mountain  sheep. 

63.  Common  crossed  with  Cotswold. 

64.  Native  and  Merino,  some  Cots- 
wold and  Southdown. 

65.  Cotswold,  Southdown  and  native 

66.  Cotswold  and  Southdown. 

67.  Mostly  scrubs;  a   few  Cotswold 

and  Southdowns. 

68.  Cotswold       and       Southdowns, 

crossed  on  common  sheep. 

69.  Mostly     natives,    with     a     few 

Spanish  and  Southdowns. 

70.  Scrubs  and  Southdowns. 

71.  Scrub. 


What  number  are  sold   out  of  the  county,  and   iti   what 
market? 


1.  About  6,000.  Atlanta  and  Louis- 

ville mostly. 

2.  No  answer. 

3.  2,000  to  2,500. 

4.  No  answer. 

5.  About  500  to  Memphis. 

6.  1,500  to  2,000. 

7.  Very  few  to  New  Orleans. 

8.  Do  not  know. 

9.  About  5,000  to  Nashville ;  lambs 

to  Cincinnati  and  New  York. 
10.  About  3,000  to  eastern  markets. 


11.  2,000    old   sheep   to    Nashville, 

Louisville  and  Cincinnati. 

12.  1,000  monthly  to  Nashville  and 

Louisville. 
;  13.  A  good  many  to  Louisville  and 

northern  markets. 
!  14.  About   1,500  sent  to   Nashville 

and  northern  markets. 
i  15.  2,000  to  3,000  to  eastern  markets. 
I  16.  None. 

1  17.  500  to  go  South,  Atlanta,  Ga. 
!  18.  500  to  Atlanta. 


[1861 


19.  About  10  per  cent,  of  the  num- 

ber sold  to  Nashville. 

20.  About  2,000  to  Nashville. 

21.  Comparatively  none. 

22.  No  answer. 

23.  From  5,000  to  7,000,  to  Atlanta 

and  Augusta. 

24.  No  answer. 

25.  About  2,500,  mostly  to  Kentucky 

26.  Very   few   shipped    out   of    the 

county. 

27.  3,000,    to     Memphis,    Jackson, 

Mobile. 

28.  300  to  Atlanta. 

29.  Very  few,  to  go  North. 

30.  Very  few,  to  Atlanta. 

31.  Home    market;     Jackson    200,  < 

Memphis  300  to  400. 

32.  About  4,000  to  Memphis  in  1876  i 

33.  Not  able  to  give  a  correct  an- 

swer. 

34.  Very  few. 

35.  No  answer. 

36.  Three-fourths,  to  go  North. 

37.  No  answer. 

38.  A  few  sold  for  Memphis. 

39.  A  few  sold  for  Memphis. 

40.  None. 

41.  Two-thirds  of  the  crop  to  Nash-  i 

ville. 

42.  10,000  full   bloods  sold   South ; 

grade  lambs  to  the  butchers. 

43.  2,000  to  Kentucky. 

44.  1,000  to  Baltimore. 

45.  2,000  to  Nashville  and  Kentucky 


46. 
47. 
48. 

49. 

50. 
51. 

52. 

53. 
54. 

55. 
56. 
57. 

58. 
59. 
60. 

61. 
62. 

63. 
64. 
65. 

66. 
67. 
68. 
69. 

70. 
71. 


Not  many  ;  a  few  to  go  East. 

About  one-fourth  to  Memphis. 

Don't  know;  Memphis  princi- 
pal market. 

Do  not  know;  a  good  many 
sold  to  Memphis. 

None  sold  out  of  the  county. 

Do  n't  know ;  some  sold  to  go 
South. 

500  to  1,000  to  traders  and 
feeders. 

No  answer. 

A  few  to  Memphis  and  Nash- 
ville. 

None. 

1,000  per  annum. 

None  of  consequence. 

Do  not  know. 

No  answer. 

From  1,000  to  2,000  to  Ken- 
tucky. 

1,000  to  2,000  to  Nashville  and 
Louisville. 

Don't  know;  those  sold  go  to 
Louisville. 

3,000  to  go  South. 

500  to  Chattanooga. 

2,000  to  Nashville  for  shipment. 

200 ;  various  markets. 

300  or  400. 

Do  not  know,  not  many. 

Some  for  northern  markets  and 
some  for  southern. 

Some  to  Kentucky. 

Jackson  is  our  market. 


What  is  the  average  price  obtained  for  them  ? 


1.  Average  price  $2.50. 

2.  No  answer. 

3.  For  two  years  past  l^c  per  Ib. 

4.  No  answer. 

5.  About  $3.00  per  head. 

6.  $1.50. 

7.  $1.50  to  $2.00. 

8.  $1.50. 

9.  $2.50. 

10.  $1.25. 

11.  $3.50. 

12.  $5.00. 

13.  $3.00. 

14.  4c  to  4?,c  per  Ib. 

15.  $1.50  to  $2.00. 

16.  Native.  $2.00. 

17.  3c  to  3£c  per  Ib. 


18.  3c  per  Ib. 

19.  $3.50  to  $4.00. 

20.  $3.00. 

21.  No  answer. 

22.  $2.50  to  $3.00. 

23.  $2.50. 

24.  $2.00. 

25.  $1.50. 

26.  $5.50     for     common,    $6.00    to 

$10.00  for  grade  Cotswold. 

27.  $2.00. 

28.  $2.00. 

29.  No  answer. 

30.  $1.50  to  $2.00. 

31.  Spring  lambs  $2.50;  one  to  two 

years  old  $3.50. 

32.  $3.50. 


[187] 

33.  $1.50  to  2.00. 

53.  $3.00  for  grades, 

$2.00  for  corn- 

34.  $2.25  to  $3.00. 

mon. 

35.  $2.00  to  $5.00. 

54.  $2.00  common,  $3.00  for  grades. 

36.  2^c  per  Ib. 

55.  $2.00  to  $5.00. 

37.  $3.00. 

56.  $2.00    to    $5.00, 

according    to 

38.  $3.00. 

breeds. 

39.  $3.00. 

57.  No  answer. 

40.  No  answer. 

58.  $3.00. 

41.  $2.50. 

59.  No  answer. 

42.  Full  blooded  Cotswold  $15.00; 

60.  $2.00. 

Southdown  $5.00  to  $10.00. 

61.  $3.00. 

43.  $1.12J. 

62.  $1.25  to  $2.00. 

44.  $1.50. 

63.  $1.50. 

45.  $1.00  to  $2.00. 

64.  $3.00. 

46.  $2.50. 

65.  $2.50. 

47.  $2.00. 

66.  $2.00. 

48.  $2.50  to  $3.00. 

67.  $2.00. 

49.  $1.50  to  $1.75. 

68.  $2.50. 

50.  None  sold. 

69.  $1.25  to  $2.00. 

51.  $2.50  to  $5.00. 

70.  $1.25  to  $1.75. 

52.  $1.50  to  $2.00. 

71.  $2.00. 

Are  lambs  sold,  and  to  what  extent? 


1.  One-half  are  sold.  27. 

2.  None.  28. 

3.  Yes.     Lambs  are  sold  with  the  29. 

sheep,  say  500  per  year. 

4.  None.  30. 

5.  Lambs  are  not  sold  to  any  ex-  31. 

tent. 

6.  None  sold,  no  market.  32. 

7.  Very  few.  33. 

8.  None.  34. 

9.  About    one-half    of    the    male  35. 

lambs  are  sold. 

10.  But  few  sold.  36. 

11.  5,000  sold  to  Louisville,  Cincin-  37. 

nati  and  New  York.  I  38. 

12.  1,000  or  more  annually.  |  39. 

13.  A  great  many,  2,000  to  3,000.  40. 

14.  About  800.  41. 

15.  Some.     Not  to  any  great  extent.  42. 

16.  Not  many.  43. 

17.  None  sold.  I  44. 

18.  About  half  the  product.  j  45. 

19.  Only   for   breeding    and    home  '  46. 

consumption. 

20.  Very  few.  '  47. 

21.  None.  !  48. 

22.  No  answer.  49. 

23.  None. 

24.  None.  50. 

25.  None  sold.  51. 

26.  None  sold.  52. 


More  extensively  than  sheep. 

None  sold. 

None  that  I  know  of  out  of  the 
county. 

$1.50  to  $3.50. 

3,000  or  4,000  for  home  con- 
sumption. 

About  the  half  of  the  product. 

Not  many. 

Very  few. 

All  the  early  buck  lambs  at 
$3.00. 

Thirty  per  cent,  are  sold. 

No  answer. 

None. 

None. 

None. 

Most  of  the  early  at  $3.00. 

Two- thirds  are  sold. 

Yes. 

Very  few. 

A  few  for  breeding. 

None  to  butchers,  some  for 
breeding. 

About  fifteen  per  cent. 

A  few. 

Most  of  the  lambs  are  sold  in 
June. 

About  400  or  500  annually. 

A  few  for  breeding. 

A  limited  number. 


[188] 


53.  No  answer. 

54.  A  few  for  breeding  purposes. 

55.  None  sold. 

56.  Yes,  largely. 

57.  None. 

58.  Yes.     Do  not  know  to  what  ex- 

tent. 

59.  Yes,  probably  5,000,  at  $3.00. 

60.  None. 

61.  Yes,  400  to  500. 


62.  Very  few. 

63.  Very  few. 

64.  None. 

65.  Yes,  to  the  full  extent. 

66.  No  lambs  sold. 

67.  No,  except  a  few  at  home. 

68.  Do  not  know. 

69.  No  lambs  sold. 

70.  About  one- fourth  sold. 

71.  About  two-thirds. 


What  attention  is  paid  to  the  improvement  of  breeds? 


1.  A  marked  improvement. 
2.i|.'Considerable  attention  is  paid. 

3.  Very  little  for  the  last  five  years. 

4.  This  interest  is  totally  neglected 

in  this  county,  though  the  fin- 
est in  the  State  for  sheep  rais- 
ing. 

5.  There  has  not  been  much  atten- 

tion given. 

6.  Very  little. 

7.  Very  little. 

8.  None  of  any  consequence. 

9.  A  great  deal  of  attention  of  late 

years. 

10.  Very  little. 

11.  All  farmers  are  making  an  effort 

to  improve. 

12.  Great   attention    is   now    being 

made  to  improve. 

13.  In  some  sections  a  good  deal, 

others  not. 

14.  Considerable.     The  business  in- 

creasing rapidly. 

15.  There '  is  getting  to  be  a  good 

deal  of  excitement. 

16.  None. 

17.  Scarcely  any  at  all. 

18.  Very  little. 

19.  Considerable.     Improved  breeds 

are  being  introduced. 

20.  Very  little. 

21.  Very  little. 

22.  More  than  formerly.     Improved 

breeds  are  being  introduced. 

23.  None. 

24.  Very  little. 

25.  Considerable  the  last  five  years. 

26.  Considerable    interest   is    being 

manifested. 

27.  The  desire  to  improve  is  rapidly 

increasing. 

28.  There  is  a  spirit  of  improvement 

manifested. 


j  29.  Very  little. 

30.  Almost  none. 

31.  For  the  last  three  years  consid- 

erable going  on. 

32.  Quite  a  number  of  farmers  are 

buying  improved  breeds. 

33.  Very   little  except  with  a  few 

farmers. 

34.  Just  beginning  to  improve. 

35.  Flocks  generally  are  being  im- 

proved. 

36.  A  good  deal. 

37.  Some  interest  manifested  to  im- 

prove breeds. 

38.  Comparatively  little. 

39.  Very  little. 

40.  None. 

41.  Good. 

42.  Improved  breeds  are  being   in- 

troduced. 

43.  Not  much. 

44.  Not  much. 

45.  But  very  little. 

46.  Some  attention  is  being  paid. 

47.  Good  for  the  last  year  or  so. 

48.  More   interest    is   being    mani- 

fested. 

49.  A  good  deal  more  than  formerly. 

50.  Not  a  great  deal. 

51.  Very  little.  The  interest  checked 

by  the  dog  law. 

52.  Very  little  till  of  late  years. 

53.  Some  little  by  a  few. 

54.  A  few  farmers  are  giving  their 

attention  to  it. 

55.  Very  little. 

56.  Very  much. 

57.  Some  few  are  making  an  effort. 

58.  A  great  deal. 

59.  Occasionally     an     enterprising 

farmer  buys  a  good  buck. 

60.  Not  much. 


[J189] 


61.  There  is  a  great  spirit  for  im- 

provement. 

62.  Of  late   there   is  some  interest 

manifested. 

63.  There  seems  to  be  considerable. 

64.  Very  little. 

65.  Generally  very  little. 

66.  But  very  little. 


67.  Very  little  if  any. 

68.  Quite  ordinary  with  a  few  ex- 

ceptions. 

69.  Very  little. 

70.  Some  are  selling  oft*  old    stock 

and  introducing  new. 

71.  Not  much. 


What  breeds  are  preferred  ? 

1.  Cots  wold. 

2.  Cotswold  and  Southdown. 

3.  Cotswold  and  Southdown. 

4.  No  answer. 

5.  Cotswold  and  Southdown. 

6.  Cotswold. 

7.  Cotswold  and  Southdown. 

8.  No  answer. 

9.  Cotswold  and  Southdown. 

10.  Old  stock  crossed  with  Cotswold. 

11.  Southdown. 

12.  Southdown  and  Cotswold. 

13.  Southdown. 

14.  Southdown  and  Cotswold. 

15.  Cotswold. 

16.  No  choice. 

17.  Southdown. 

18.  Southdown. 

19.  Merino,    Cotswold    and    South- 

down. 

20.  Cotswold. 

21.  Cotswold  and  Merino. 

22.  Formerly  Cotswold,  now  South- 

down. 

23.  No  answer. 

24.  Southdown. 

25.  Leicester  and  Cotswold. 

26.  Cotswold. 

27.  Southdown  and  Cotswold. 

28.  Southdown,  Cotswold,  Merino. 

29.  Cotswold. 

30.  Merino  by  me. 

31.  Cotswold  and  Southdown. 

32.  Cotswold. 

33.  Southdown. 

34.  Cotswold  and  Southdown. 

35.  Southdown  and  Cotswold. 

36.  Southdown  and  Cotswold. 

37.  No  answer. 


38.  Southdown  and  Cotswold. 

39.  Southdown  and  Cotswold. 

40.  No  preference. 

41.  Southdown  and  Merino. 

42.  Southdown. 

43.  Southdown. 

44.  There  is  a  difference  of  opinion 

which  is  best. 

45.  Southdown  and  Cotswold. 

46.  Cotswold  and  Southdown. 

47.  Cotswold. 

48.  Cotswold,  Leicester,  Southdown. 

49.  Cotswold  and  Southdown. 

50.  Cotswold  and  Southdown. 

51.  Cotswold. 

52.  Cotswold  and  Southdown. 

53.  Cotswold  and  Southdown. 

54.  Merino  and  Cotswold. 

55.  Southdown  and  Merino. 

56.  Cotswold,  Southdown   and  Lei- 

cester. 

57.  No  answer. 

58.  Southdown  and  Cotswold. 

59.  Southdown. 

60.  Southdown  and  Cotswold. 

61.  Cotswold  and  Southdown. 

62.  So  far  with  us  only  an  experi- 

ment. 

63.  Southdown. 

64.  Cotswold  and  Southdown. 

65.  Cotswold  and  Southdown. 

66.  Cotswold,  Southdown  and  Lin- 

colnshire. 

67.  So  little  attention  is  paid  to  the 

matter  can't  say. 

68.  Cotswold. 

69.  People  are  not  generally  posted. 

70.  Cotswold  and  Southdown. 

71.  Cotswold  and  Southdown. 


[190] 

What  do  you  estimate  the  annual  cost  of  raising  sheep 
per  head  to  be? 


1.  $1.50. 

36.  $1.00. 

2.  50c. 

37.  No  answer. 

3.  $1.25,  $1.50. 

38.  Very  little. 

4.  No  answer. 

39.  Have  never  made  an  estimate. 

5.  75c. 

40.  Don't  know. 

6.  50c. 

41.  40c. 

7.  $1.00. 

42.  75c. 

8.  Do  not  know. 

43.  No  answer. 

9.  Never  made  an  estimate  of  the 

44.  60c. 

cost. 

45.  The  cost  is  very  little  when  they 

10.  $1.00. 

have  a  good  range. 

11.  $1.00. 

46.  50c. 

12.  $2.00. 

47.  75c. 

13.  $1.25. 

48.  Have  never  made  an  estimate. 

14.  $1.25. 

49.  Don't  know,  not  much. 

15.  $1.50. 

50.  50c. 

16.  80c  to  90c. 

51.  Cannot  tell;    natives  generally 

17.  Do  not  know. 

take  care  of  themselves. 

18.  $1.00. 

52.  50c,  according  to  the  old  plan  of 

19.  50c  the  maximum. 

letting  them  run. 

20.  No  answer. 

53.  No  answer. 

21.  $2.00. 

54.  About  $1.50. 

22.  $1.00. 

55.  About  75c. 

23.  $1.00. 

56.  About  $1.00. 

24.  No  answer. 

57.  No  answer. 

25.  50c. 

58.  About  25c  to  50c. 

26.  $1.50. 

59.  $1.00. 

27.  33£c. 

60.  $1.25. 

28.  $1.00. 

61.  $1.00  on  dry  food. 

29.  About  what  they  are  worth  when  !  62.  No  answer. 

raised. 

63.  50c. 

30.  Either   the   lamb   or  wool  will    64.  $1.50. 

pay  the  cost. 

65.  50c. 

31.  75c. 

66.  $1.00. 

32.  75c. 

67.  50c. 

33.  60c  to  75c. 

68.  $1.25. 

34.  Very  little.     Can  be  grazed  till 

69.  From  BOc  to  60c. 

the  snow  covers  the  ground. 

70.  No  answer. 

35.  $1.50. 

71.  50c. 

What  description  of  feed  is  generally  used,  and  what  par- 
ticular method  employed  in  feeding  ? 


1.  Grass  only;    a  little  corn  and 

hay  in  snow. 

2.  No  answer. 

3.  Hay,  fodder  and  corn.     No  par- 

ticular method. 

4.  No  answer. 

5.  In  winter  corn  and  hay  mostly. 


6.  They  run  on  the  vacant  land. 

Little  care  taken  with  them. 

7.  Corn  and  fodder. 

8.  Anything   that   is  fed   to  other 

stock. 

9.  Grass,  fodder  and  hay,  very  little 


[191] 


10.  Grain  and  hay. 

11.  No  feed  except  in  rough  weather, 

then  corn  and  hay. 

12.  Corn,  hay  and  fodder. 

13.  Grass  and  corn. 

14.  Eye  and  grass,  a  little  corn  at 

lambing  time. 

15.  Hay  and  fodder. 

16.  Eun  in  the  woods. 

17.  Corn  and  fodder. 

18.  Corn,  fodder  and  hay. 

19.  Grazed  on  clover  till  December, 

then   on   wheat,   fodder   and 
hay  in  bad  weather. 

20.  Sheep  run  on  wheat  in  fall  and 

winter,  clover  in  summer. 

21.  No  particular  feed  or  method. 

22.  Not  much  feeding  done.     Some 

feed  cotton  seed  to  save  hay 
and  corn. 

23.  Fodder,  corn  and  hay. 

24.  Pasture   in   summer,   oats    and 

hay  in  winter. 

25.  Corn   fodder  when  fed   at   all ; 

Fed  but  little. 

26.  Corn,  fodder   and  hay.     Clover 

hay  and  corn  the  best. 

27.  Cotton  seed,  corn  and  oats.     No 

particular  method. 

28.  Corn  and  fodder ;  turnips  are  ex- 

cellent. 

29.  Woods  pasture.     Let  the  sheep 

take  care  of  themselves. 

30.  No  particular  feed  or  method. 

31.  Oats,  peas,  cotton  seed  and  fod- 

der in  winter. 

32.  Corn,  cotton  seed  and  hay.     No 

method. 

33.  Corn,  peas,  cotton  seed  with  hay 

and  oats. 

34.  No  answer. 

35.  Pasture  mostly,  shelled  oats  and 

corn  in  winter   to  thorough- 
breds. 

36.  Grass. 

37.  No  answer. 

38.  Some  feed  on  rye ;  mostly  run  in 

the  woods. 

39.  Some  winter  on  rye,  others  let 

run  in  the  woods. 

40.  No  answer. 

41.  Corn     meal,     blue-grass,     rye, 

meadow  hay,  etc. 


42.  No  answer. 

43.  Oats  and  fodder. 

44.  Very   little    attention    paid    to 

feeding;  numbers  live  on  the 
hills. 

45.  None  fed. 

46.  Such   food   as   they   can  glean. 

No  method. 

47.  Hay  and  corn  fodder  fed  on  the 

ground. 

48.  Corn  and  pea  hay.     The  latter 

is  as  fine  as  can  be  had.  We 
feed  on  clover  and  chopped 
food. 

49.  Corn  and  oats.     Not  much  sys- 

tem about  feeding. 

50.  Cotton  seed  and  a  little  hay  and 

fodder  and  turnips,  raw. 

51.  But  little  feed  is  given;  in  bad 

weather  hay  and  straw. 

52.  The  old  plan  was  to  let  run  at 
.     large  ten  months  in  the  year, 

but  we  are  improving  on 
that. 

53.  No  answer. 

54.  Corn  and  cotton  seed  with  hay 

in  winter. 

55.  Grazing  in  summer ;  hay  in  win- 

ter. 

56.  Oats,  bran  or  meal. 

57.  Hay  and  cotton  seed  and  wheat 

grazing. 

58.  Summer,   pasture ;    winter,  hay 

and  a  little  corn. 

59.  Grass  and  browsing ;  hay  when 

there  is  snow. 

60.  Corn,  fodder,  hay  and  oats. 

61.  Corn  and  hay. 

62.  Corn,  fodder  and  hay.     No  sys- 

tem employed. 

63.  Grass  and  hay. 

64.  Corn,  fodder  and  hay. 

65.  Not  much  if  any  but  grass  and 

weeds,  some  corn  fodder. 

66.  Cotton  seed    with    fodder.     No 

particular  method. 

67.  Corn  and  fodder. 

68.  Corn,  hay,  sorghum  seed,  oats. 

69.  They  run  at  large  on  the  plains. 

70.  Fodder,  wheat  and  bran. 

71.  Cotton  seed  and  corn  and  fodder. 


[192] 


What  is  the  average  price  obtained  for  unwashed  wool? 

(These  answers  were  given  in  1878  when  wool  was  low.) 


1.  20c  per  pound. 

2.  35c  per  pound. 

3.  Very     little    shipped.       Home  j  37 

price  25c  to  40c 

4.  No  answer. 

5.  Do  not  think  that  there  is  any 

unwashed  wool  sold. 

6.  No  answer. 

7.  None  sold.     Eolls  40c  to  65c. 

8.  No  answer. 

9.  25c  per  pound. 

10.  20c    " 

11.  20c  to  25c  for  Southdown  and 

Cotswold,  18c  for  scrub. 

12.  30c  per  pound. 

13.  18c  to  30c,  according  to  quality. 

14.  Don't  know.     Last  season  nearly 

all  sold  at  25c  to  28c. 

15.  35c  per  pound. 

16.  30c  " 

17.  30c  to  40c  per  pound. 

18.  25c  per  pound. 

19.  25c 

20.  20c 

21.  25c 

22.  25c 

23.  40c 

24.  20c  to  30c,  owing  to  burs. 

25.  30c  per  pound. 

26.  15c  to  25c  for  common. 

27.  None  sold. 

28.  35c  to  40c  per  pound. 

29.  30c,  I  believe. 

30.  30c  the  market,  almost  all  wool 

used  at  home. 

31.  30c  per  pound. 

32.  About  18c  per  pound. 

33.  35c  to  40c  when  free  from  burs. 

34.  No  answer. 


35.  No  answer. 
j  36.  20c  per  pound. 
'  37.  About  22c  per  pound. 

38.  15c  to  '20c  per  pound. 

39.  15c  to  20c    "         " 

40.  None  sold. 

41.  18c  to  20c  per  pound. 

42.  23c  lo  25c    "         " 

43.  20c  per  pound. 

44.  33£c  "         " 

45.  20c  to  22c  per  pound. 

46.  20c  to  25c    "        " 

47.  None  sold. 

48.  20c  per  pound. 
I  49.  20c    " 

I  50.  20c    "        " 

|  51.  I  have  sold  mine  from  33c  to  75c 

for  ten  years  past. 
!  52.  20c  to  25c  per  pound. 

53.  No  answer. 

54.  25c  per  pound. 

55.  About  40c  per  pound. 

56.  30c  to  40c     " 

57.  20c  per  pound. 

58.  20c  to  45c  per  pound. 

59.  20c  per  pound. 

60.  20c  to  25c  per  pound. 

61.  25c  per  pound. 

62.  No  answer. 

63.  25c  per  pound. 

64.  None  sold. 

65.  About  25c  per  pound. 

66.  18c  to  20c     "        " 

67.  25c  per  pound. 

68.  30c    "        " 

69.  25c  to  30c  per  pound. 

70.  30c  per  pound. 

71.  No  answer. 


What  is  the  average  yield  of  unwashed  wool  per  sheep? 


1.  Native  2  to  4  pounds,  Cotswold 

8  pounds. 

2.  5  pounds. 

3.  4        " 

4.  No  answer. 

5.  3  pounds. 

6.  About  2£  pounds. 

7.  3  to  4  pounds. 

8.  No  answer. 


9.  4  pounds  on  common,  Cotswold 
more. 

10.  About  3  pounds. 

11.  6  to  8  pounds  from  Southdowns 

and  Cotswolds;  5  pounds  Span- 
ish Merino;  3  pounds  scrub. 

12.  4  pounds. 

13.  3 

14.  4        " 


[193] 


15.  Owing  to  the  kind  of  sheep. 

16.  3|  pounds. 

17.  About  8  pounds. 

18.  About  3        " 

19.  7  to  10 

20.  About  5  pounds. 

21.  About  3        " 

22.  About  3£  to  4  pounds. 

23.  About  5  pounds. 

24.  No  answer. 

25.  About  3  pounds  common. 

26.  2%   pounds   for    scrub;    6  to  12 

pounds  for  Cotswold. 

27.  4  pounds. 

28.  3  pounds  for   scrub;    Cotswold 

and  Southdown  5  pounds. 

29.  About  4  pounds. 

30.  Native  1  to  3  pounds ;  Merinos 

3  to  12  pounds;  grade  Cots- 
wold  3  to  7. 

31.  Common  3  pounds ;  blooded  5  to 

7  pounds. 

32.  8  pounds  for  blooded  sheep. 

33.  Best  flocks  of  common  4  pounds ; 

improved  breeds  6  to  8  pounds. 

34.  No  answer. 

35.  4  pounds. 

36.  3£  pounds. 

37.  No  answer. 

38.  3  pounds. 

39.  3        " 

40.  No  answer. 

41.  8  pounds  for  improved  breeds. 

42.  Cotswold  average  8  to  10  pounds 

43.  2  to  3  pounds. 

44.  2i  to  3       " 

45.  From  1  to  3  pounds. 


46.  5  to  8  pounds  from  improved 

breeds. 

47.  3£  pounds. 

48.  31  to  4  pounds. 

49.  About  4  or  5  pounds. 

50.  2  to  2£  pounds. 

51.  Native    2}    pounds;     Cotswold 

average  nearly  9  pounds. 

52.  2  to  4  pounds  common;  8  to  12 

pounds  improved  breeds. 

53.  No  answer. 

54.  Cotswold  12  pounds  ;  Southdown 

5  pounds;  Merino  8  pounds; 
scrub  2  pounds. 

55.  From  2  to  3  pounds. 

56.  Improved  breeds  5  to  7  pounds. 

57.  5  pounds  improved  breeds. 

58.  2   to    8    pounds,    according    to 

breeds. 

59.  Average  yield  2.}  pounds. 

60.  2jj-  pounds. 

61.  4  pound;-;. 

62.  1|  to  2  pounds  common  ;  4  to  8 

pounds  improved  breeds. 

63.  About  3  pounds. 

64.  4  pound;-. 

65.  2  to  2J  pounds. 

66.  Scrub  3  pounds;  Southdown  6 

pounds;  Cotswold  11  pounds; 
Lincolnshire  12  pounds. 

67.  2 1  pounds. 

68.  5          " 

69.  Natives  11  pounds;  Cotswold  7 

pounds. 

70.  Scrub  3  pounds;    Southdown  5 

pounds. 

71.  4  to  6  pounds. 


What  is  the  clear  income  on   wool  to  the  sheep? 


1.  None  on  native  sheep. 

2.  No  answer. 

3.  65c  to  80c. 

4.  No  answer. 

5.  About  75c. 

6.  No  answer. 

7.  About  $1.00. 

8.  No  answer. 

9.  Have  never  made  an  estimate. 

10.  No  answer. 

11.  From  lOc  to  60c,  according   to 

breed. 

12.  Nothing. 

13.  Not  much.     If  it  were  not   for  j 

the  lambs  there  would  not  be  I 
many  sheep  raised. 
13     ' 


14.  No  answer. 

15.  No  answer. 

16.  No  answer. 

17.  Cannot  say. 

18.  No  answer. 

19.  $1.25  per  head. 

20.  No  answer. 

2L.  That  depends  upon  the  manner 

they  are  cared  for. 
22.  70c  to  80c. 

2;>.  -^1  25  under  good  management. 
24.  No  answer. 
2'").  On  common  stock  none. 

26.  17-oC  on  scrub. 

27.  20c. 

28.  About  15c. 


[194] 

29.  Loses  half  in  washing. 

51.  Can    only    answer    for    myself, 

30.  No  answer. 

Cots  wold  averaged  9  Ibs.  last 

31.  60c  on    common,  $1.25  on    im- 

year. 

proved  breeds. 

52.  Very  little  on  common  sheep. 

32.  No  answer. 

53.  No  answer. 

33.  Not  able  to  answer. 

54.  Do  not  know. 

34.  No  answer. 

55.  From  80c  to  $1.00  on  improved 

35.  No  answer. 

breeds. 

36.  17£c. 

56.  From  $1.00  to  $2  00  on  fine  sheep 

37.  No  answer. 

57.  50c  per  head. 

38.  60c  to  75c. 

58.  No  answer. 

39.  60c  to  75c. 

59.  About  30c. 

40.  Do  not  know. 

60.  No  answer. 

41.  80c. 

61.  No  answer. 

42.  No  answer. 

62.  No  answer. 

43.  50c  to  60c. 

63.  50c 

44.  40c. 

64.  Nothing. 

45.  No  answer. 

65.  From  60c  to  62Jc. 

46.  What    you    realize     from     the 

66.  No  answer. 

wool. 

67.  About  $1.00. 

47.  About  25c. 

68.  $1.00. 

48.  Do  not  know. 

69.  It  depends  upon  the  breed. 

49.  Do  not  know. 

70.  No  answer. 

50.  25c.  or  30c.                                         71.  No  answer. 

What  is  the  average  price  for  iambs  to  the  butcher? 

1.  $2.40  per  head. 

27.  $2.00. 

2.  No  answer. 

28.  None  sold. 

3.  None  sold  to  butchers. 

29.  From  $1.00  to  $2.00. 

4.  No  answer. 

30.  No  answer. 

5.  $1.50  per  head. 

31.  $3.00  in  early  spring. 

6.  No  answer. 

32.  $2.00.                   • 

7.  No  answer. 

33.  $1.00. 

8.  No  answer. 

34.  82.00  to  $2.25. 

9.  About  $2.00  ;  the  past  two  vears 

35.  $3.00. 

$2.50.                                           j  36.  $2.00. 

10.  None  sold.                                          37.  No  answer. 

11.  $3.50  to  $4.00. 

38.  None  sold. 

12.  $3  00. 

39.  None  sold. 

13.  $3.00. 

40.  No  answer. 

14.  $3.00  to  $4.00  per  head.     The 

41.  $2.50. 

money  made  is  on  the  lambs. 

42.  $3.00. 

15.  $2.00  to  $3.00. 

43.  No  answer. 

16.  No  answer. 

44.  None  sold. 

17.  None  sold. 

45.  $1.00  to  $1.50. 

18.  $3.00. 

46.  None  sold. 

19.  $2.00.  Very  few  sold  to  butchers 

47.  About  $1.50. 

20.  No  answer. 

48.  $2.50. 

21.  None  sold. 

49.  $1.25. 

22.  $2.50. 

50.  $1.50  to  $2.00. 

23.  $1.50  to  $2.00. 

51.  None  sold. 

24.  No  answer. 

52.  $1.25  to  $2.00. 

25.  None  sold. 

53.  No  answer. 

26.  None  sold. 

54.  $2.00. 

[195] 


•55.  None  sold. 

56.  About  $2.00. 

57.  None  sold. 

58.  $2.50  to  $3.50. 
.59.  $3.00. 

60.  None  sold  to  the  butcher. 

61.  No  answer. 

62.  No  answer. 

63.  $1.25. 


64.  None  sold. 

65.  $2.50  for  60  Ib.  lambs. 

66.  No  sale  of  lambs. 

67.  Sl.OO. 
i  68.  $2.50. 

j  69.  None  sold  to  butchers. 
70.  None  sold. 
|  71.  $1.50. 


What  is  the  average  price  for  stock  sheep? 


7. 


12. 

13. 
14. 
15. 
16. 
17. 
18. 
19. 

20. 

21. 
22. 
23. 
24. 
25. 

26. 

27. 
•28. 

29. 
30. 
31. 

32. 
33. 
34. 


No  answer. 

$1.75  to  $2.00  per  head. 

Ewes    $2.00    to    $2.50;     bucks 

$4.00  to  $5.00. 
No  answer. 
From  $1.00  to  $2.00. 
$1.50. 
$1.50;    select  breeders  $5.00  to 

$15.00. 
No  answer. 
About  $3.00  for  two  years  past ; 

$2.00  heretofore. 
About  $1.50. 
$2.00     for    common,     $8.00    to 

$10.00  for  breeding. 
$2.00. 

After  shearing  $2.50. 
$2.50. 

$5.00  to  $10.00  for  breeders. 
$1.25. 

$1.00  to  $1.50. 
$1.  25. 
$4.00    to    $5.00    for    improved 

breeds. 

Very  few  sold. 
$1.50. 

$10.00  for  improved  breeds. 
$1.50  to  $2.00. 
$1.50  to  $2.00. 
Fine  bucks  and   ewes  $5.00  to 

$10.00. 
$1.50. 
$1.50 
Scrubs  $1.00; 

$50.00. 
$1.00. 

$1  00  to  $1.50. 
$1.50.     Fancy 

ported. 
$2.50. 

$1.25  to  $1.50. 
$1  50  to  $2.00. 


blooded  $5.00  to 


prices 


for 


35.  $2.50. 

36.  $2.00,  grade  $5.00. 

37    $1.50,  Southdown  $10  00,  Cots- 
wold  $15.00  to  $25.00. 

38.  $1.50  to  $2.00. 

39.  $1.50  to  $2.00. 

40.  $2.00. 

41.  $4.00  for  grade. 

42.  $10.00  for  full  blood  Southdown, 

$15.00  for  Cots  wold. 

43.  $2.00. 

44.  $1.50. 

45.  $1.25  to  $1.50. 

46.  $1.50  to  $2.00. 

47.  $1.75. 

48.  $1.50. 

49.  $2.00. 

50.  $2.00    to    $5.00,    according    t» 

breed. 

51.  $1.25  to  $2.50  for  wethers. 

52.  $1.50  to  $2.00. 

53.  No  answer. 

54.  $1.00  to  $1.50. 

55.  $1.50  to  $2.00. 

56.  Best  breeds  $5.00  to  $7.00. 

57.  $2.00. 

58.  Common  $1.25  to  $2.00,  blooded 

$15.00  to  $25.00. 

59.  $2.00. 

60.  $1.50    to    $5.00,     according    to 

breed. 

61.  $10.00  for  blooded. 

62.  $1.50. 

63.  $1.50. 

64.  $1.50. 

65.  $1.50. 

66.  SI. 75. 

67.  $1.50. 

68.  $2.50. 

69.  $1.00  to  $1.50. 

70.  $1.25  to  $2.00. 

71.  No  answer. 


[1961 
What  is  the  average  price  for  mutton  per  head? 


1.  3c  per  Ib. 

37.  No  answer. 

2.  No  answer. 

38.  $2.50  to  $3.00. 

3.  $2.00  to  $2.50. 

39.  $2.50  to  $3.00. 

4.  See  remarks. 

40.  $2.00. 

5.  $2.00. 

41.  $2.25. 

6.  $1.75  to  $2.00. 

42.  $5.00. 

7.  $1.00  to  $3.00. 

43.  $2.00. 

8.  $1  50.     See  remarks. 

44.  $2.00  to  $2.50. 

9.  $3.00. 

45.  $1.00  to  $2.00. 

10.  $1.75. 

46.  5c  per  Ib. 

11.  $3.00  to  $4.00. 

47.  $2.00. 

12.  $5.00. 

48.  $3.50. 

13.  $4.00  with  the  wool  on. 

49.  $1.50  to  $1.75. 

14.  $4.00. 

50.  $2.25. 

15.  It  varies  according  to  the  quality 
from  $2.00  up. 

51.  $2.50  to  $5.00. 
52.  $1.50  to  $2.50. 

16.  $4.00  to  $5.00. 

53.  See  remarks. 

17.  3c  to  3£c  per  Ib. 

54.  $3.00  to  $5.00 

18.  $2.00. 

55.  $2.00  to  $2.50. 

19.  $3.50  to  $4.00. 

56.  $3.00. 

20.  $3.00. 

57.  $2.50. 

21.  $2.00. 

58.  $3.00  to  $4.00. 

22.  $2.50  to  $3.00. 

59.  $2.50. 

23.  $2.50. 

60.  $2.50. 

24.  $2.00  to  $2.50. 

61.  $3.00  for  good  wethers  that  will 

25.  None  sold. 

weigh  70  Ibs. 

26.  No  answer. 

62.  No  answer. 

27.  $2.00. 

63.  $2.00. 

28.  $2.00. 

64.  $2  00. 

29.  $2.00. 

65.  $2.25  to  $4.00. 

30.  3c  per  Ib.  gross. 

66.  $2.25. 

31.  $3.00. 

67.  $1.75. 

32.  $3.00. 

68.  5c  per  Ib. 

33.  $2.00  to  $2.25. 

69.  $2.00  to  $3.00. 

34.  No  answer. 

70.  No  answer. 

35.  $3.00. 

71.  $2.00. 

36.  No  answer. 

Have  you  a  home  market  for  your  wool? 
is  your  nearest  market? 


If  not,  what 


1.  Sold  here  but  consumed  out  of 

the  county. 

2.  No  answer. 

3.  All  consumed  at  home. 

4.  See  remarks. 

5.  None   at  home,  send  to   Hum- 

phreys county. 

6.  The  most  is  used  at  home. 

7.  Yes. 

8.  Entirely  used  at  home. 

9.  Sent  to  Franklin  or  Nashville. 
10.  Consumed  at  home. 


11.  Some  sent  to  Kentucky  and  the 

North. 

12.  Sold  to  agents  of  manufactories. 

13.  Generally  sold  at  home. 

14.  Send  the  most  of  it  to  Bowling- 

green,  Ky. 

15.  Have  a  tolerably  good  market 

at  home. 

16.  Yes. 

17.  We  have  a  home  market. 

18.  Sell  to  the  factory  at  McMinn- 

ville. 


[197 


19.  Two   fine   mills   on  Bed   river,  I  44. 

near  State  line. 

20.  Exchange   our   wool   with   fac-  |  45. 

tories  on  Red  river.  46. 

21.  No  home  market.  47. 

22.  Home  market.  48. 

23.  Home  market.  49. 

24.  We  can  sell  at  home  or  sell  at    50. 

Mayfield  factories. 

25.  No  home  market,  Nashville  the  I  51. 

nearest. 

26.  Knoxville  our  market.  j  52. 

27.  Exchange  with  mills  at  Hum- 

phreys county  for  goods.          j  53. 

28.  Consumed  at  home.  54. 

29.  Sell  at  Knoxville. 

30.  Our    markets    are    North    and    55. 

East. 

31.  Sell  to  go  out  of  the  county ;  no    56. 

factories. 

32.  But  little  sold  at  home.     Ship  to    57. 

St.  Louis. 

33.  No  home  market,  sell  to  Hum-  |  58. 

boldt  and  Hurricane  Mills.      j  59. 

34.  None.  I  60. 

35.  Home  market. 

36.  No  home  market.  61. 

37.  Home  market.  I  62. 

38.  No    home   market;    Cincinnati    63. 

and  St.  Louis.  64. 

39.  No    home    market;    St.    Louis    65. 

and  Cincinnati.  66. 

40.  None  sold.  67. 

41.  Home  market  for  one-third.  68. 

42.  Can   sell    at   home   or    to    fac-    69. 

tories.  70. 

43.  Yes.     Knoxville.  71. 


The  factories  at  Elizabeth  buy 
our  wool  at  50c  per  Ib. 

We  have. 

No  home  market. 

We  have  a  home  market. 

Most  consumed  at  home. 

We  have  a  home  market. 

We  have  none;  ship  to  different 
places. 

No   home   market.     I    ship    to 

Boston,  Mass. 

None.     Hurricane     Mills    the 
nearest  market. 

No  answer. 

Some      little      home     demand. 
Louisville  and  Philadelphia. 

Not  enough  raised  for  home  con- 
sumption. 

We  have  the  factories  at  home 
and  McMinnville. 

Humboldt   factory   the  nearest. 
Ship  to  St.  Louis. 

Nashville  our  market. 

Yes,  we  have  a  home  market. 

The  most  of  our  wool  is  sold  in 
Knoxville. 

Good  home  market. 

Not  wool  enough  for  home  use. 

We  have. 

We  have  no  home  market. 

No.     Nashville. 

Have  no  home  market. 

Home  market  for  all  we  make. 

Home  market.     Clarksville. 

Most  merchants  buy  wool. 

Knoxville. 

None  raised  for  market. 


Are  there  any  woolen  factories  in  your  county.     If  yes, 
how  many  and  where  located  ? 


1.  None. 

2.  One,  in  the  northern  part  of  the 

county. 

3.  None. 

4.  No  answer. 

5.  None. 

6.  None. 

7.  None  but  carding  factories. 

8.  None. 

9.  Do  not  know. 

10.  None. 

11.  Two,  one  in  Gallatin  and  one 

five  miles  from  it. 


12.  Two,  one  in  Gallatin   and  one 

at  Desha's  creek. 

13.  Two,  one  in  Gallatin  and  one  at 

Desha's  creek. 

14.  Two,  one  in  Gallatin  and  one  at 

Desha's  creek. 

15.  Four,   two    at    Bristol,   two    at 

Elizabethtown. 

16.  None. 

17.  None. 

18.  None. 

19.  None  known  to  us. 

20.  None. 


[198] 


21.  None. 

22.  None,  three  or  four  carding  fac- 

tories. 

23.  None. 

24.  One. 

25.  None. 

26.  One  on  Eastamantor  creek. 

27.  None. 

28.  None. 

29.  None,  carding  mills  only. 

30.  None. 

31.  None  in  Madison. 

32.  None. 

33.  None. 

34.  None. 

35.  None. 

36.  One  in  Fayetteville. 

37.  One  at  Marcella  Falls. 

38.  None. 

39.  None.. 

40.  None. 

41.  None. 

42.  None,  some  carding  factories. 

43.  One  near  or  at  Morristown. 

44.  None. 

45.  None. 

46.  None,  some  carding  machines. 

47.  One  at  Big  Hurricane  creek. 


48.  Ours  is  all  we  know  of. 

49.  One  at  Hurricane  creek. 

50.  None. 

51.  None. 

52.  None,  some  carding  machines. 

53.  No  answer. 

54.  None,\one  near  the  line  in  Flor- 

ence. 

55.  None. 

56.  One  at  Dowelltown. 

57.  None. 

58.  None. 

59.  None  that  I  know  of. 

60.  None. 

61.  One  at  Tullahoma. 

62.  None,  some  carding  machines. 

63.  None,  but  one  at  McMinnville 

near  our  lines. 

64.  None. 

65.  None. 

66.  None. 

67.  None. 

68.  One  on 


the  west  fork   of  Red 


river. 

69.  None. 

70.  None. 

71.  No  answer. 


What  is  the  estimated  amount  of  capital  invested  in  sheep 
in  your  county? 

1.  $50,000.  '  22.  $7,500. 

2.  $6,000  to  $10,000.  I  23.  No  answer. 

3.  No  answer.  |  24.  Not  over  $15,000. 

4.  About  $6,000.  !  25.  No  answer. 

5.  No  answer.  26.  $10,000  to  $12,000. 

6.  Very    little,    cannot    give     the  |  27.  About  $24,000. 

amount.  |  28.  About  $6,000. 

7.  None.  i  29.  No  answer. 

8.  Do  not  know.  30.  $5,000. 

9.  About  $7,000  or  $8,000.  31.  About  $20,000. 

10.  $50,000.  32.  About  $40,000. 

11.  $20,000.  33.  Unable  to  answer. 

12.  Cannot  answer.  34.  Very  limited. 

13.  About  $40,000.  35.  $100,000. 

14.  No  answer.  36.  Do  not  know. 

15.  No  answer.       .  37.  No  answer. 

16.  $30,000  to  $40,000.  38.  $10,000  to  $12,000. 

17.  $3,000.  39.  $10,000  to  $12,000. 

18.  $20,000.  40.  None. 

19.  $3,000.  41.  $900. 

20.  $3,500.  42.  $75,000. 

21.  $25,000  to  $30,000.  43.  No  answer. 


[199] 


44.  About  $12,000. 

45.  Very  little. 

46.  Very  limited. 

47.  About  $30,000. 

48.  Do  not  know. 

49.  Do  not  know. 

50.  About  $5,000. 

51.  Cannot  answer. 

52.  $15,000  to  $20,000. 

53.  No  answer. 

54.  $7,000  or  $8,000. 

55.  $3,000  to  $4,000. 

56.  No  answer. 

57.  About  $10,000. 


58.  No  answer. 

59.  No  answer. 

60.  About  $10,000. 

61.  No  answer. 

62.  No  answer. 

63.  $10,000.  ' 

64.  $12,000. 

65.  None. 

66.  No  answer. 

67.  Cannot  answer. 

68.  Do  not  know. 

69.  Can't  tell. 

70.  No  answer. 

71.  Don't  know. 


What  is  the  estimated  number  and  value  of  sheep  an- 
nually destroyed  by  dogs? 


1.  Half  a  dozen  farmers  present  es- 

timate the  number  from  300 
to  1,000. 

2.  About  one-fifth  annually. 

3.  Cannot  give  any  estimate. 

4.  No  answer. 

5.  About  800,  worth  $1,600. 

6.  One-fourth. 

7.  None    since   the   dog    law   was 

passed. 

8.  No  answer. 

9.  In  the  last  three  years  but  few, 

but  previously  one-fourth. 

10.  About    one-half    of    the   whole 

amount. 

11.  200  in  this  county.     Must  now 

increase. 

12.  500. 

13.  A  great  many,  don't  know  the 

number. 

14.  Don't  know,  less  the  past  season 

than  ever. 

15.  About  one-fourth. 

16.  No  answer. 

17.  About  25  per  cent,  of  the  whole. 

18.  50  sheep  valued  at  $62.50. 

19.  About  10  per  cent. 

20.  About  1,000,  value  $3,000. 

21.  5  per  cent, 

22.  No  answer. 

23.  100  head. 

24.  10  per  c?.nt. 

25.  About  200  or  300. 

26.  500. 

27.  Very  few. 


28.  Very  few  since  the  dog  law  was 

passed. 

29.  No  answer. 

30.  One-half  to  three-fourths  of  the 
whole  number. 

31.  10  to  20  per  cent. 

32.  10  per  cent. 

33.  Not  less  than  20  per  cent. 

34.  10  to"  15  per  cent. 

35.  No  answer. 

36.  $2,500  in  value. 

37.  Do  not  know. 

38.  10  per  cent. 

39.  Very  few  recently. 

40.  About  10  per  cent. 

41.  About  one-fourth. 

42.  25  per  cent.,  valued  at  $15,500. 

43.  No  answer. 

44.  A  very  considerable  number. 

45.  100,  value  $125. 

46.  1,000  for  this  county. 

47.  About  10  per  cent. 

48.  Cannot  answer,    know    it  to    be 

large. 

49.  Cannot  say. 

50.  Cannot  give  the  number,  think 

it  great. 

51.  Cannot  answer. 

52.  Very  considerable. 

53.  No  answer. 

54.  Very  few  while  the  dog  law  was 

in  force. 

55.  Aout    one-third    of    the   whole 

56.  300  to  500  a  year. 

57.  No  data,  number  large. 


[  200  ] 


58.  From  5  to  10  per  cent, 

59.  No  answer. 

60.  500  head  valued  at  $1,500. 

61.  200  to  300  head. 

62.  No  answer. 

63.  400  head,  value  $600. 

64.  Very  few  since  the  dog  law  was 

passed. 

65.  None   reported    since  repeal  of 

dog  law. 


66.  50,  value  $100. 

67.  500    to    700,   worth    $1,000    to 

$1,400. 

68.  Recently  not  many,  perhaps  15 

per  cent. 

69.  It  has  been  20  to  25  per  cent,  this 

year. 

70.  No  answer. 

71.  No  answer. 


Do  you  know  any  person  who  has  abandoned  the  raising 
of  sheep  on  account  of  their  destruction  by  dogs? 


1.  Yes,  John  Connon,  Bellbuckle. 

2.  No  answer. 

3.  Not  any. 

4.  No  answer. 

5.  Cannot  say. 

6.  No  answer. 

7.  One  or  two. 

8.  Yes,  a  great  many. 

9.  A   great   many    persons    would 

have  small  flocks  but  for  the 
dogs. 

10.  One-half  of  those  now  engaged 

in  it  intend  to  do  SQ. 

11.  Yes,    Captain     Tompkins     and 

Mrs.  Drake. 

12.  Yes. 

13.  A  great  many. 

14.  A  great  many  are  going  back  to 

it  as  it  pays  well 

15.  I  hear  some  threatening  to  do  so. 

16.  None. 

17.  I  do. 

18.  I  do  not. 

19.  Fully  half  of  the  farmers  have 

quit. 

20.  No  answer. 

21.  No  answer. 

22.  Yes,  frequently  hear  persons  say 

they  will. 

23.  None. 

24.  Yes,  several. 

25.  Do  not. 

26.  Not  many. 

27.  None. 

28.  Some  would  have  gone  into  the 

business  but  for  the  repeal  of 
the  law. 

29.  Yes,  several. 

30.  I  do. 

31.  Lots  of  farmers. 


32.  None. 

33.  I  do  for  I  am  one. 

34.  Yes. 

35.  Fear  of  dogs  prevents  large  in- 

vestment in  sheep. 

36.  Do  not. 

37.  Yes,  several. 

38.  Very  few  if  any. 

39.  Yes,  others  are  deterred  by  dogs. 

40.  No. 

41.  No. 

42.  Yes,  several. 

43.  A  few. 

44.  No,  many  are  deterred  from  fear 

of  them. 

45.  No  answer. 

46.  Yes,  some  commenced  the  busi- 

ness and  abandoned  it. 

47.  One  or  two. 

48.  Yes. 

49.  Yes,  several. 

50.  I  do  not,  I  think  many  are  de- 

terred from  fear  of  dogs. 

51.  Yes,  others  would  like  to  go  into 

the  business  but  are  deterred 
by  it. 

52.  Could  name  several. 

53.  No  answer. 

54.  Not  altogether,  but  several  have 

reduced  their  flocks  in  conse- 
quence. 

55.  Many. 

56.  Do  not. 

57.  Quite  a  number. 

58.  Quite  a  number. 

59.  Several,  and  hundreds  are  afraid 

to. 

60.  Yes. 

61.  I  know  of  a  few. 


[201] 


62.  Some  say  if  it  were  not  for  dogs 

they  would  go  into  the  busi- 
ness. 

63.  Yes. 

64.  No. 

65.  None. 

66.  Yes. 


67.  Yes,  quite  a  number. 

68.  It  prevents  many  from  following 

it  as  an  occupation. 

69.  No. 

70.  No. 

71.  Yes. 


[202] 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

CONCLUDING   OBSERVATIONS. 

In  compiling  this  little  book,  I  have  drawn  largely  upon 
the  judgment  and  experience  of  the  most  intelligent  and 
successful  sheep  raisers  in  this  country  and  of  Europe,  in 
order  to  make  it  a  book  of  reference  for  such  of  our  farmers 
who  have  not  access  to,  or  the  leisure  and  opportunity  to 
consult  the  works  of  so  many  and  varied  authors. 

Some  persons  object  to  what  they  call  "book  farming." 
What  is  book  farming  but  the  combined  wisdom  and  knowl- 
edge of  the  men  who  have  given  the  subject  the  most  care- 
ful investigation  and  attention.  As  well  might  we  exclude 
books  of  instruction  from  our  schools  and  colleges,  if  our 
youth  can  teach  themselves  the  arts  and  sciences  without 
them.  How  often  do  men  cling  to  a  false  theory,  or  con- 
tinue to  pursue  a  wrong  method  of  conducting  their  business 
all  their  lives,  for  the  want  of  a  proper  knowledge  and  un- 
derstanding of  the  true  ones  ?  It  is  a  matter  of  almost  daily 
occurrence  for  persons  to  bring  specimens  of  worthless  rocks 
to  this  office  to  be  analysed,  supposing,  from  some  little  shin- 
ing particles  they  contain,  they  must  contain  some  of  the 
precious  rnetals.  A  little  knowledge  of  geology  and  miner- 
alogy would  have  taught  them  better  and  saved  them  the 
loss  of  a  good  deal  of  time  and  trouble,  besides  disappointed 
hopes  and  expectations.  We  must  have  brains  on  the  farm 
as  well  as  muscle — brains  to  plan  and  direct,  muscle  to  ex- 
ecute, an  instructive  as  well  as  executive  department. 
The  two  cannot  be  successfully  united  to  any  great  extent. 
The  man  who  toils  and  sweats  at  the  plough  through  the 
long  summer's  day,  though  he  might  wish  that  he  could 
find  some  easier  method  of  turning  over  the  sod,  would 


[203] 

never  work  out  the  problem  which  the  Duke  of  Sutherland 
did  in  his  closet,  of  using  the  most  powerful  agent  known  to 
man — dynamite — for  that  purpose.  Physical  force  must 
always  succumb  to  brain  force.  The  laborers  and  mechanics 
opposed  one  by  one  the  new  inventions  as  fast  as  they  came 
out  for  lessening  the  manual  labor  in  the  mechanical  arts,  but 
they  soon  found,  that  instead  of  throwing  them  out  of  employ- 
ment, they  found  better  in  other  directions.  The  seamstress 
found  that  instead  of  losing  her  work  through  the  introduc- 
tion of  the  sewing  machine,  she  could  make  more  money 
with  one  in  one  hour  than  she  could  in  a  whole  day  by  sew- 
ing by  hand;  so  through  all  the  departments  of  labor. 

Let  us  then,  not  despise  knowledge  obtained  from  books, 
which  are  the  only  channels  through  which  man  can  elevate 
himself  above  the  mere  instincts  of  brute  creation,  and  bring 
himself  to  the  knowledge  of  the  living  God  who  created 
him  in  his  own  image,  and  will  hold  him  responsible  for 
the  talents  committed  to  his  care. 

I  cannot  close  my  labors  without  making  one  more  effort 
to  awaken  our  farmers  to  a  sense  of  the  necessity  of  throwing 
off  their  lethargy  and  supine  ness,  and  infusing  more  life  and 
energy  into  their  occupation.  "A  man's  heart  should  be  in 
his  vocation."  The  flock-master  should  love  his  sheep,  and 
feel  an  interest  in  them  akin  to  that  of  his  own  children, 
else  he  had  better  abandon  the  attempt  at  raising  them. 
What  would  be  the  condition  of  our  manufacturing  interests 
to  day  if  no  more  life  and  enterprise  had  been  infused  into 
them  than  we  find  in  our  agricultural  departments?  Would 
they  have  been  able  to  compete  with  the  skilled  artisans  and 
mechanics  of  Europe  ?  —  nay,  to  have  almost  shut  their  man- 
ufactures out  of  our  markets,  and  even  undersell  them  in 
many  of  their  productions  in  their  own.  Is  there  less  skill 
required  in  agriculture  than  in  the  mechanic  arts?  Agri- 
culture is  a  science  of  the  highest  order,  and  no  man  will 
succeed  in  it  who  does  not  so  regard  it.  All  our  great 
Southern  statesmen  and  orators  were  agriculturists,  and  they 


[204] 

thought  it  not  beneath  them  to  devote  the  same  abilities  to 
their  home  occupations  that  they  carried  with  them  into  the 
forum  ;  doubtless,  much  of  their  inspiration  was  drawn  from 
their  constantly  communing,  when  at  home,  with  nature 
and  nature's  works.  History  tells  us  that  the  great  Roman 
Empire  did  not  begin  to  decline  till  her  patriots  and  states- 
men forsook  their  landed  estates  to  dwell  within  the  narrow 
confines  of  walled  cities.  Let  our  landed  proprietors  look 
to  it  in  time,  lest  a  like  calamity  should  befall  our  own 
country,  for  history  is  constantly  repeating  itself  among  all 
nations. 

Instead  then  of  lounging  and  loafing  around  our  inland 
towns,  telling  the  news  of  the  day  and  laughing  at  anecdotes, 
let  our  men  who  own  lands  resort  to  them  and  engage  in  the 
beautiful  occupation  of  the  agriculturist  in  some  one  of  its 
many  branches.  It  is  not  to  be  expected  that  many  persons 
will  devote  themselves  wholly  to  sheep  raising,  as  our  farm- 
ing is,  as  a  general  thing,  of  a  mixed  character.  But  the 
object  of  these  pages  is  to  teach  those  who  wish  to  raise  a 
few  sheep  as  well  as  those  who  wish  to  make  it  a  specialty. 

There  are  so  many  advantages  in  having  a  few  sheep  on 
every  farm  that  the  reader  must  pardon  us  for  making  a  re- 
sume of  them,  with  the  hope  of  impressing  its  importance 
on  some  few  of  our  many  farmers  who  are  without  them. 
They  add  to  the  comfort  of  the  poor  man,  for  it  gives  him 
the  means  of  clothing  his  family  warmly,  and  since  the  abo- 
lition of  looms  every  observant  man  will  see  the  shabby 
manner  in  which  many  of  our  farmers  are  clad.  When  the 
good  housewife  held  sway  over  the  clipping  of  her  sheep, 
she,  with  the  daughters  of  the  family,  could  find  no  better 
occupation,  during  the  long,  tedious  winter  night,  than  to 
spin  and  reel  the  fleecy  rolls  from  the  carding  factory.  A 
willing  hand  and  a  cheerful  spirit  come  of  employment,  and 
soon  the  supply  is  hanging  on  the  walls  in  the  shape  of 
hanks  of  fine  or  coarse  wool,  some  for  wearing  and  other  for 
knitting.  A  few  days  are  only  required  to  convert  these 


[205] 

hanks  into  good  warm  jeans  or  calamanca,  a  four  treadle 
jeans. 

In  addition  to  the  benefit  of  clothes,  a  small  flock  of  sheep 
will  supply  a  sweet  and  toothsome  food  when  satiated  with 
the  briny  fries  of  bacon.  Nothing  eats  like  lambs  of  our 
own  raising,  and  lamb  and  peas  is  a  dish  fit  for  kings. 
How  much  better  when  it  does  not  come  from  the  butchers. 
In  fact,  when  the  butcher  has  to  supply  it,  it  seldom  makes 
its  appearance  on  the  table.  But  from  our  flock  it  can  obey 
the  will  of  the  farmer,  and  a  regular  interchange  of  slaughter 
between  farmers  will  keep  fresh  meat  as  often  as  required, 
without  the  danger  of  spoiling  from  the  heat  of  summer. 
The  surplus  wool  gives  a  convenient  supply  of  pocket  change, 
(we  are  speaking  of  small  flocks),  at  a  time  of  the  year  when 
the  farmer  has  no  crop  to  sell.  The  peculiar  fitness  of  wool 
for  market  is  shown  by  its  ease  and  cheapness  of  transporta- 
tion. It  can  be  sent  to  any  market  at  but  a  slight  cost. 
Nothing  in  agriculture  is  so  easily  carried  to  market  without 
injury  and  so  cheaply.  It  can  be  carried  from  San  Fran- 
cisco to  New  York  for  one  and  one-half  cents  per  pound, 
while  wheat  or  bacon  would  cost  its  entire  value  to  transport 
it  so  far.  There  are  important  considerations  in  selecting  a 
product  of  agriculture.  It  gives  great  facilities  for  the 
home  and  brings  the  foreign  markets  into  competition.  It 
must  be  kept  in  mind,  however,  that  wool  will  not  bear 
baling  for  transportation  like  cotton.  Its  fulling  property 
prevents  that.  If  baled,  it  might  become  so  inextricably 
tangled  in  the  fulling  process  that  it  would  be  worthless. 
The  fibres  of  wool  are  different  from  hair.  While  the  latter 
has  bristled  or  barbs  on  its  sides,  the  wool  is  made  precisely 
like  a  stack  of  thimbles  let  into  each  other,  and  the  edges 
of  the  thimbles  have  beards  by  which  they  stick  to  each 
other  fibre  by  these  hooks.  While  the  wool  is  ordinarily 
pressed,  these  hooks  do  not  get  hold  of  each  other,  but  if 
brought  together  very  firmly,  and  especially  if  rubbed,  these 
little  hooks  will  catch  into  each  other  in  such  a  manner  they 


[206] 

can  only  be  separated  by  cutting  up.  The  wool  hat  is  an 
instance  of  the  fulling  process.  It  is  oue  of  the  most  inter- 
esting items  in  regard  to  wool  to  recapitulate  the  many  pur- 
poses to  which  it  is  applied.  It  goes  into  every  form  of 
clothing  for  man  and  woman.  The  finest  gauzy  fabrics  of 
female  wear  are  made  of  the  same  material  with  the  coarse, 
heavy  shoddy  of  the  hod  carrier.  It  covers  our  feet,  hands 
and  heads;  it  covers  our  floors  and  beds.  There  is  scarcely 
a  single  article  of  commerce,  from  gun  wads  to  the  heavy 
cordage  of  ships,  but  has  wool  in  its  construction.  With 
all  the  uses  to  which  it  is  applied  there  will  never  come  a 
time  when  it  will  not  remunerate  the  producer. 

Again,  every  one  knows  that  land  must  be  renewed  or  it 
will  cease  to  be  productive.  I  take  the  broad  ground  that 
nothing  will  renew  lands  cheaper  and  more  effectually  than 
sheep. 

England  has  32,000,000  sheep,  and  Scotland,  much 
smaller  than  Tennessee,  with  more  mountains  than  any 
State  in  our  Union,  has  5,000,000.  They  are  kept  in  such 
quantities  chiefly  on  account  of  their  fertilizing  qualities. 
The  population  of  that  country  is  so  enormous  that  the  land 
is  taxed  to  its  utmost  capacity  to  feed  its  citizens,  and  with- 
out sheep  it  would  fall  still  further  behind  than  it  does. 
They  do  not  destroy  the  grass  roots  like  other  animals,  their 
bite  being  sharp  and  light.  They  dispense  their  manure 
evenly  over  the  surface,  so  that  all  alike  is  benefitted.  The 
sheep  will  consume  and  finally  eradicate  from  the  soil  all 
noxious  weeds,  there  being  but  few  that  are  not  eaten  by 
them.  And,  by  the  way,  it  is  a  well  known  thing  that  ivy 
or  laurel  will  kill  sheep  eating  it.  There  is  a  great  deal  of 
it  growing  in  mountainous  countries,  and  they  must  be 
guarded  from  it.  A  gentleman  of  Davidson  county  informs 
me  that  he  lost  a  fine  flock  of  sheep  from  eating  the  common 
ground  ivy  common  to  all  damp  woods.  This  must  not  be 
confounded  with  the  former  ivy  or  sheepkill  as  it  is  called, 
also  called  calico  bush.  It  is  a  laurel  (Kalmia  Angusti- 


[207] 

folii)  and  is  well  known  as  a  deadly  poison  to  sheep  and 
cattle. 

Taking  all  these  facts  into  consideration,  we  feel  that  we 
can  commend  this  industry  to  all  classes  of  people,  alike  to 
the  landlord  and  renter,  to  the  owner  of  a  few  acres  and  to 
the  plantation  of  the  once  wealthy  farmer,  who,  having  lost 
his  laborers,  can  put  the  sheep  to  work  to  repair  the  damage 
of  years  upon  his  exhausted  lands. 

To  encourage  the  raising  of  sheep  the  last  Legislature 
enacted  a  very  wise  law  and  one  that  will  redound  to  the 
welfare  of  the  State.  This  law  allows  every  farmer  to  own 
fifty  sheep  exempt  from  execution  for  debt.  It  is  unfortu- 
nate that  their  ideas  of  the  rights  of  property  did  not  in- 
fluence them  to  enact  a  law  for  the  protection  of  flocks 
against  the  ravages  of  roaming  dogs. 


[208] 


CHAPTER  XV. 

ANGORA   GOATS. 

Angora  goats  resemble  sheep  more  than  any  other  animal 
in  their  habits  of  herding  and  feeding,  as  well  as  in  the 
usefulness  of  their  outer  coating  and  in  the  excellent  quali- 
ties of  their  flesh.  I  have  thought,  therefore,  that  a  chap- 
ter devoted  to  their  management  may  not  be  unacceptable 
to  the  farmers  of  Tennessee.  The  farm  can  have  no  scav- 
enger equal  to  a  flock  of  goats.  However  thick  the  briers 
or  tangled  the  undergrowth,  a  flock  of  goats  will  quickly 
destroy  them,  and  no  food  is  so  highly  relished  by  them  as 
that  which  is  utilized  by  no  other  domestic  animal.  For 
clearing  up  the  underbrush  of  a  woodland  pasture,  a  flock 
of  goats  is  equal  to  as  many  laborers,  and  they  will  thrive 
and  fatten  on  their  labor.  The  flesh  of  the  goat  is  very 
palatable  and  healthful,  and  the  cheapest  which  can  be  pro- 
duced. Mr.  Stratton,  of  Cumberland  county,  whose  letter 
is  included  in  this  chapter,  informed  the  writer  that  the  cost 
of  raising  a  goat  is  not  as  much  as  the  cost  of  raising  a 
chicken. 

Half  a  century  ago  the  Angora  goat  was  unknown  in 
America.  For  a  century  the  existence  of  cashmere  shawls 
was  known,  and  in  high  life  the  possession  of  one  ranked 
in  importance  with  the  possession  of  a  diamond,  and  was 
transmitted  with  equal  care  from  mother  to  daughter.  The 
brilliancy  and  fineness  of  the  texture  and  the  high  prices 
which  these  shawls  commanded,  led  enquiring  minds  to  an 
investigation  of  the  subject.  So  rare  a  fabric,  it  was  argued, 
should  not  be  unknown  in  its  method  of  manufacture  to 
the  skill  and  intelligence  of  the  western  world.  The  semi- 
barbarians  of  mid- Asia  should  not  be  permitted  to  bring  to 


[209] 

shame  the  finest  and  costliest  textile  fabrics  of  civilized 
Europe  and  America.  For  many  years  the  texture,  even, 
of  these  costly  shawls  was  unknown.  It  was  believed  that 
they  were  made  of  a  fine  wool,  but  examination  of  the 
fibres  disclosed  the  fact  that  it  was  not  wool  at  all,  but  hair; 
and  then  speculation  ran  wild  as  to  what  animal  produced 
such  a  silky,  glossy  coat.  The  manner  and  method  of  man- 
ufacture were  equally  unknown,  and  it  was  many  years  be- 
fore the  public  was  enlightened  on  these  subjects.  Even 
after  the  origin  was  made  public,  it  was  still  many  years,  in 
spite  of  the  most  strenuous  efforts  upon  the  part  of  indi- 
viduals and  of  governments,  before  the  possession  of  a 
single  animal  could  be  obtained,  so  jealously  was  their  ex- 
portation guarded  by  the  shepherd  kings  of  Asia.  It  was 
too  fruitful  a  source  of  revenue  to  those  nomadic  people  to- 
be  tampered  with.  Time  and  patience  finally  overcame 
their  scruples,  though  the  first  animals  imported  cost  fabu- 
lous sums.  They  not  only  had  to  be  paid  for  at  enormous 
prices,  but  had  to  be  transported  about  1,500  miles  over 
desert  and  mountain,  where  no  convenient  railway  offered 
its  services.  The  hostility  of  the  Arab  tribes  had  to  be 
encountered  all  the  way,  and  their  prejudice  had  taken  such 
deep  root  that  every  individual  made  efforts  to  thwart  the 
purpose,  and  it  was  only  after  the  most  incredible  hardships 
and  dangers  that  at  last  a  few  goats  were  landed  on  the 
shores  of  America. 

Dr.  J.  B.  Davis,  of  Columbia,  South  Carolina,  has  the 
high  honor  of  having  been  the  first  man  who  brought  any 
here,  he  having,  while  consul  to  Turkey,  secured  nine 
thorough  blood  animals  from  Thibet,  and  landed  them  at 
last,  after  many  difficulties,  in  his  native  city.  So  valuable 
were  they,  that  he  readily  sold  the  produce  of  these  animals 
at  from  one  to  three  thousand  dollars  a  pair. 

Various  attempts  have  been  made,  both  in  Europe  and 
America,  to  manufacture  these  shawls,  but  with  little  suc- 
cess, the  water  and  atmosphere  of  Asia  being  necessary  to 
14 


*  [210] 

impart  the  brilliant  colors  for  which  they  are  so  famous. 
England  long  enjoyed  a,  monopoly  of  the  trade  in  cashmere 
shawls,  and  through  the  selfishness  of  the  London  import- 
ers much  of  the  difficulty  of  importation  was  due. 

There  are  two  species  of  goats  famous  for  the  character 
of  the  fleece.  The  Thibet  goat  is  the  true  cashmere  shawl 
goat,  but  the  distance  is  so  great  and  the  difficulties  of  ob-, 
taining  them  so  numerous,  they  are  almost  unknown  to  our 
stock  men.  In  Asia  Minor  is  a  vilayet  called  Angora,  of 
Avhich  Angora  is  the  capital.  A  species  of  goats  called, 
from  this  city,  Angora,  now  are  found,  that  so  much  resem- 
ble the  true  Cashmere  that  only  experts  are  able  to  distin- 
guish them,  and  these  have  come  into  general  use  in  Amer- 
ica. The  fleece  is  as  good  and  equally  as  valuable,  but  there 
are  some  insensible  properties  in  the  Cashmere  that  are  of 
but  little  practical  importance,  hence  the  Angora  has  super- 
seded to  a  great  extent  the  Cashmere.  Dr.  Scott,  whose 
able  treatise  we  have  used  with  his  consent,  says  that  Dr. 
Davis  brought  over  the  Angora,  while  the  Cyclopedia  of 
the  Appletons  says  they  were  the  Thibet  goat.  Be  that  as 
it  may,  the  price  of  a  full-blooded  buck  is  so  greatly  re- 
duced that  almost  any  farmer  can  avail  himself  of  one,  and 
by  crossing  one  of  these  "  bucks  "  with  a  flock  of  the  com- 
mon goat,  a  fine  character  of  cashmere  wool,  as  it  is  mis- 
called, can  soon  be  obtained ;  in  fact,  after  five  crosses  the 
fleece  cannot  be  distinguished  from  the  pure  bred  animal. 
We  hardly  think  our  progressive  people,  however,  can  ever 
be  got  into  the  manufacture  of  those  famous  shawls,  as  it 
requires  from  one  to  five  years  work  with  several  looms  to 
make  a  single  shawl.  Labor  is  so  cheap  in  that  overpopu- 
lated  country  that  good  workmen  can  be  obtained  at  a  cost 
of  a  few  cents  a  day,  and  only  merchants  can  engage  in  the 
work,  as  the  laborer  can  get  nothing  until  his  shawl  is  com- 
pleted, and  therefore  must  be  fed  by  the  employer  while 
engaged  in  its  construction.  There  are  many  other  uses 
to  which  the  wool  can  be  "applied,  and  it  is  gaining  more 


[211] 

popularity  every  day,  and  the  time  will  come  when  much 
of  our  woolen  fabrics  will  be  made  of  it. 

For  further  information,  we  refer  the  reader  to  the  article 
of  Dr.  Scott,  to  that  of  Joseph  Phillips,  of  Davidson,  and 
to  Mr.  Lorenzo  Stratton,  of  Grassy  Cove,  Cumberland 
county.  The  latter  gentleman  seems  to  think — and  his 
opinion  is  based  upon  experience — that  they  are  peculiarly 
suited  to  the  Table- lands  of  the  Cumberland  Mountains. 
That  they  can  be  raised  much  cheaper  than  sheep  will  not 
admit  of  a  doubt,  and  it  is  only  the  question  of  sales  that 
has  to  be  determined. 

THE   BREEDING,    MANAGEMENT   AND   PRODUCTS   OF 
THE  CASHMERE,  OR  ANGORA  GOATS. 

[By  Robert  W.  Scott,  Frankfort,  Ky.] 

After  maturely  studying  the  history,  and  a  careful  inspec- 
tion of  the  persons  of  these  animals,  during  several  years, 
I  purchased  a  flock  of  them  in  May,  1860.  I  was  impressed 
that  an  animal  so  hardy  and  prolific,  producing  a  textile 
product  so  rare,  so  durable,  so  beautiful,  and  so  valuable, 
must  soon  become  of  great  practical  importance  in  a  coun- 
try of  so  much  wealth  and  taste  as  ours.  I  was  specially 
impressed  with  the  facility  and  certainty  with  which  the 
males  of  this  breed  transferred  all  of  their  superior  quali- 
ties to  a  lower  and  common  species  of  the  same  class  of 
animals,  by  being  carefully  bred  to  the  females  of  the  lower 
class  for  five  or  more  generations,  the  improvement  com- 
mencing promptly  and  palpably  with  the  first  cross,  and 
plainly  manifest  in  each  succeeding  one,  until  in  five  or 
more  crosses  the  inferior  blood  was  almost  lost  in  form,  and 
fleece,  and  character. 

This  feature  assured  me  that  in  a  few  years  fine  wool  or 
mohair  could  be  produced  from  pure  and  from  cross-bred 
animals  sufficient  to  justify  the  erection  in  this  country  of 
manufactories  of  the  product, 'until  which  time  the  animals 


[212] 

would  have  to  be  bred  for  their  /prospective  value,  and  for 
fancy  articles  mainly.  A  fratricidal  war  delayed,  but  could 
not  divert,  the  consummation.  Several  manufactories  have 
already  been  established.  The  demand,  at  remunerating 
prices,  is  greater  than  the  supply ;  and  the  wool  of  cross- 
bred animals  during  several  generations  proves  to  be  equal 
to  any  for  many  of  the  purposes  of  use  or  ornament,  and 
we  are  assured  that  we  may  now  enter  confidently  upon  this 
new  and  promising  field  of  industry. 

PRACTICAL   INFORMATION   CONCERNING   THEM. 

To  those  who  contemplate  entering  upon  the  breeding  of 
these  animals,  a  few  remarks,  derived  from  careful  reading, 
and  from  practical  experience  during  near  twenty  years, 
may  not  be  uninteresting. 

A    SKETCH   OF   THEIR   HISTORY. 

Though  the  goat  has  not  long  been  practically  known  as 
a  wool- bearing  animal  in  the  United  States,  yet  it  is  infer- 
able, from  their  hardier  nature  and  better  adaptation  to 
pioneer  life,  that  it  supplied  our  remote  ancestors  with  both 
clothing  and  food  long  before  the  sheep  was  used  for  these 
purposes.  Certainly  from  the  earliest  history  of  our  race 
it  has  been  intimately  and  practically  associated  with  man, 
and  in  some  Asiatic  countries  still  contributes  to  his  re- 
quirements more  than  sheep.  The  race  abounds  in  almost 
infinite  varieties,  which  have  readily  adapted  themselves  to 
the  climates,  subsistence  and  culture,  to  which  they  have 
been  subjected,  in  almost  every  habitable  portion  of  the 
globe.  They  were  regarded  by  the  ancient  Israelites  as 
clean  beasts,  were  esteemed  as  choice  food,  and  were  conse- 
crated to  sacrifice.  Certainly  ever  since,  and  probably  long 
before  Moses  ordered  one  hundred  and  sixty- five  yards  of 
the  cloth  of  "goat's  hair"  to  be  made  for  the  veil  or  cov- 
ering of  the  Tabernacle,  the  wool-bearing  goat  has  been 
known  and  used  by  the  Asiatic  people,  and  the  animals  still 


[213] 

greatly  abound  in  several  countries  of  that  quarter  of  the 
globe.  It  is  strange,  therefore,  that  they  were  not  much 
earlier  introduced  into  our  country. 

THEIK    IMPORTATION    INTO    THE    UNITED    STATES. 

This  honor  was  left  to  Dr.  Jas.  B.  Davis,  of  South  Caro- 
lina, in  the  year  1849,  since  which  several  other  importa- 
tions have  been  made.  As  Dr.  Davis  was  our  Consul  to 
Turkey  when  he  exported  them,  and  as  Smyrna,  or  Con- 
stantinople, was  their  port  of  debarkation,  it  is  probable 
that  he  availed  himself  of  the  advantages  of  his  official  po- 
sition to  secure  the  variety  known  as  Angora  goats,  called 
so  from  the  city  of  Angora,  in  the  province  of  Xatolia,  in 
Asia  Minor,  where  they  are  extensively  raised,  and  their 
wool  was  once  more  largely  manufactured. 

Another  wool  bearing  goat  is  extensively  raised  in  Thi- 
bet, in  Central  Asia.  Its  wool  is  exported  to  the  small 
province  of  Cashmere,  where  it  is  manufactured  into  the 
richest  and  most  beautiful  fabrics,  which  have  given  wealth 
and  fame  to  that  little  interior  country  all  over  the  world. 
As  it  is  not  known  that  any  of  these  have  ever  been  im- 
ported into  the  United  States,  those  which  we  have  should, 
in  strictness,  be  called  Angora  and  not  Cashmere  goats. 
Though  there  is  some  discordance  in  the  history  of  the  im- 
portation of  these  animals  and  of  their  breed  and  nativity, 
yet  the  name  Angora  is  now  generally  accorded  to  them, 
and  their  descendants  from  the  flock  of  Dr.  Davis,  it  hav- 
ing been  acquired  many  years  since  by  Col.  R.  B.  Peters, 
of  Georgia.  Several  other  importations  also  have  been 
made  at  divers  times,  among  the  animals  of  which  there  is 
a  general  uniformity,  though  with  some  discrepancy  as  to 
size,  color  and  fleece;  and  the  fullest  description  of  them 
has  been  given  by  Hon.  J.  S.  Diehl,  in  the  U.  S.  Agricultu- 
ral Report  for  1863. 


[214] 

DESCRIPTION,    CHARACTER   AND    HABITS. 

As  they  have  been  so  often  illustrated  in  agricultural 
publications,  a  personal  description  of  them  is  not  here  im- 
portant. In  size  they  are  superior  to  the  native  or  common 
goat.  Wethers,  when  fully  grown  and  fatted,  will  weigh 
from  sixty  to  eighty  pounds,  live  weight.  A  wether  of  my 
flock,  two  years  old,  has  weighed,  when  dressed,  fifty-four 
and  a  half  pounds  net — the  fore  quarters  18  pounds,  the 
hind  quarters  21  pounds,  the  saddle  12  pounds,  and  the 
rendered  tallow  3J' pounds;  the  tallow  much  more  in  some 
other  cases.  The  color  of  pure  bred  and  full-blood  animals 
is  almost  invariably  white,  though  some  of  the  earliest  de- 
scendants of  imported  animals  were  brown;  some  being 
gray  and  some  black,  also,  in  their  native  country,  varying 
a  little,  perhaps,  in  species,  or  family  of  species.  Their  gay 
and  intelligent  appearance,  their  cleanly  habits,  active  and 
playful  disposition,  make  them  attractive  on  a  farm ;  while 
in  their  nature  they  are  so  docile  that  they  may  be  raised  so 
as  to  be  as  familiar  about  the  house  and  yard  as  the  dog  or 
the  cat.  Though  they  have  great  curiosity  and  enterprise, 
they  also  have  strong  local  attachments,  and  after  wander- 
ing all  day,  will  generally  seek  their  usual  shelter  at  night, 
especially  if  the  weather  is  inclement.  They  do  not  break 
fences,  or  clear  them  at  a  single  bound,  as  most  other  stock 
do,  but  will  pass  through  a  hole  which  is  already  made,  will 
climb  up  a  rail  which  leans  at  about  forty-five  degrees,  or 
will  bound  on  top  of,  and  then  over,  a  low  fence.  Any 
good  farm  fence  five  feet  high,  except  stone  fence,  will  keep 
them  securely.  Like  other  stock,  they  are  more  trouble- 
some after  they  have  acquired  roaming  and  breachy  habits. 
They  bear  coupling,  hobbling  and  tethering  better  than  any 
other  stock. 

In  their  diet  they  are  almost  omnivorous,  eating  in  win- 
ter often  what  they  have  rejected  in  summer.  On  large 
farms  much  the  greater  portion  of  their  diet  will  consist  of 


[2151 

weeds,  bushes,  briers,  fallen  leaves,  brush,  etc.,  and  they  are 
truly  valuable  for  keeping  lands  clean  of  these.  In  winter 
short  grass  and  corn-fodder  is  all  that  is  required,  even  by 
the  breeding  flock,  and  I  have  never  found  it  necessary  to 
feed  grain  of  any  kind  to  them  at  any  season. 

A  dry  shelter  is  desirable  for  them,  especially  to  the  fe- 
males in  kidding  season ;  though  my  flock  of  males  and 
wethers,  even  after  they  have  been  shorn  in  April,  has 
never  had  any  protection  than  what  they  could  obtain 
around  a  hay  or  straw  stack. 

The  females  have  no  perceptible  odor  at  any  season,  and 
the  males  only  during  the  breeding  season,  when  they  uri- 
nate on  their  fore  legs  and  beards;  but  their  habits  and 
odor  are  much  less  offensive  than  of  the  native  goat;  and 
their  language  of  love  is  much  less  demonstrative  and 
noisy. 

In  breeding  they  are  precocious,  the  females  being  ca- 
pable of  breeding  at  seven  months,  and  the  males  of  propa- 
gation still  earlier.  As  the  females  carry  their  young  only 
five  months,  it  is  possible  for  them  to  have  young  within 
twelve  months  old;  but  I  do  not  think  it  advisable  that 
either  sex  breed  in  less  than  twelve  or  eighteen  months  old. 
Generally  the  pure-bred  animals  have  but  one  at  a  birth; 
while  grade  and  full-blooded  females  will  have  from  one  to 
five/and  with  reasonable  care  will  always  raise  as  many 
kids  as  there  are  mothers  in  the  flock,  and  often  more.  If 
the  weather  is  pleasant,  and  the  kids,  at  their  birth,  can 
once  get  dry,  and  stand  up  and  suck,  they  require  but  little 
attention  afterwards.  The  mothers  may  sometimes  lose  or 
leave  them  in  large  pastures,  especially  if  they  have  more 
than  one,  when  they  are  very  young.  Like  deer,  they  in- 
cline to  leave  their  young,  and  return  to  and  suckle  them  at 
intervals,  during  the  first  few  days  after  birth.  A  protracted 
cold  rain  is  often  fatal  to  a  kid  at  the  time  of  its  birth ;  it 
is  thereiore  desirable  to  house  the  females  at  night,  during 
the  period  of  parturition.  The  males  should  be  bred  to  the 


[216] 

females,  so  that  the  kids  will  come  in  pleasant  weather,  and 
as  simultaneously  as  possible,  for  which,  and  other  reasons, 
it  is  preferable,  commonly,  to  keep  the  adult  males  and 
wethers  separate  from  the  breeding  flock.  The  bucks  are 
said  to  be  valuable  in  protecting  the  flock  from  the  attacks 
of  dogs,  and  under  my  observation  the  goats  are  most  com- 
monly the  attacking  party,  having  seen  them  frequently 
charge  and  drive  away  a  loafing  dog.  They  do  not,  by 
flight,  invite  the  pursuit  of  dogs,  as  sheep  do ;  and  dogs  do 
not  seem  to  have  the  same  disposition  to  worry  or  to  eat 
them,  which  they  manifest  towards  sheep. 

Though  goats  will  often  bite,  hook,  and  butt  each  other, 
yet  they  are  not  cross  with  other  stock,  and  the  males  do 
not  fight  and  injure  each  other  as  male  sheep  often  do. 

DISEASES    AND    INSECTS    TO    WHICH    THEY    ABE    SUBJECT. 

Though  I  have  been  breeding  these  animals  nearly  twenty 
years,  and  once  had  over  two  hundred  head  of  them  of  all 
ages,  yet  there  has  never  been  any  epidemic  disease  among 
them.  During  this  time  I  have  lost  several  by  worms  in 
the  nose,  as  with  sheep,  and  one  by  a  swelling  of  the  glands 
of  the  throat.  A  humor  in  the  cleft  of  the  foot,  like 
scratches  in  horses,  has  given  me  more  trouble  than  all 
other  diseases.  It  is  caused  by  wading  through  high,  wet 
grass,  yields  readily  to  strong  acids,  and  never  kills.  Wash 
the  sore  repeatedly  in  carbolic  soap  suds,  or  in  turpentine, 
and  then  apply  a  salve  made  of  bluestone,  or  copperas,  or 
tar.  A  variety  of  small,  long,  red  vermin  is  peculiar  to 
them ;  is  not  fatal,  and  can  be  destroyed  mainly  by  prepara- 
rations  of  tobacco,  cresylic  soap,  or  camphor,  sulphur,  etc., 
applied  along  the  back.  The  great  peculiarity  of  the 

ANGORA  GOAT    IS    ITS   FLEECE,     OR   RATHER    ITS    FLEECES. 

The  hairy  covering  of  all  goats  is  known  in  commerce  as 
mohair,  both  the  long  wavy  fleece  of  the  Angora,  and  the 
shorter  and  finer,  silky,  under  hair  of  the  true  Cashmere 


[217] 

goat,  which  is  obtained  by  combing  it  out.  Like  some 
furred  animals,  the  Angora  goat  wears  two  distinct  and  dif- 
ferent suits  of  clothing,  and  mainly  at  different  seasons. 
One  is  short,  stiff,  coarse,  and  of  no  commercial  Value ;  the 
other  is  long  in  proportion  to  the  degree  of  blood,  and  is 
lustrous,  soft,  silky,  and  elastic.  The  animal  is  born  with  a 
covering  of  the  first,  which  in  a  few  weeks  drops  out,  and 
is  simultaneously  replaced  by  the  second,  or  the  fine  wool, 
which  in  its  time  also  drops  out,  and  is  similarly  superseded 
by  the  first ;  the  animals  wearing  the  short,  coarse  hair  in 
the  spring  and  early  summer,  and  the  long  fine  wool  in 
summer,  fall  and  winter.  When  the  wool  of  the  Angora 
goat  is  being  shed,  the  cups  or  bulbs  in  the  skin  which  pro- 
duced the  fibers  are  also  shed,  as  well  as  the  cuticle  or  out- 
side skin.  This  is  a  great  peculiarity  of  the  Angora  goat  ; 
but  a  still  greater  one,  and  of  far  more  practical  importance, 
is  its  capacity  to  transfer,  or  to  impart  this  rare  quality  to 
other  goats  which  do  not  possess  it.  The  males  certainly 
have  this  power  in  a  high  degree  :  and  the  female  Angora 
bred  to  a  common  male,  will  no  doubt  impart  the  same 
quality,  but  probably  not  in  so  high  a  degree.  The  kid  of 
an  Angora  buck,  out  of  a  native  ewe,  invariably  has  in  its 
skin  those  bulbs  or  cups  which  produce  and  secrete  the  fine 
wool  of  the  Angora,  or  wool-bearing  goat,  while  it  has  the 
power  to  secrete  the  hair  also,  as  its  ancestry,  on  the  dam 
side,  always  had.  The  wool  of  goats'' is  finer,  longer,  or 
thicker  in  different  individuals  of  the  same  blood,  just  as  is 
the  case  with  sheep;  and  like  sheep,  also,  the  same  animal 
produces  finer  wool  when  young  than  when  advanced  in  life. 
But  the  wool  of  the  half-blood  kid  or  goat  is  of  a  standard 
fineness  of  full-blood  or  of  pure-bred  Angora  goat's  wool, 
but  it  is  short.  The  wool  and  the  hair  of  the  half-blood 
grow  together,  and  seem  to  constitute  but  one  covering ;  but 
a  close  inspection  shows  the  different  fibers,  issuing  from 
different  bulbs  in  the  same  skin ;  and  when  the  shedding 
season  arrives,  the  fine  wool  may  be  combed  out  of  the  hair 


[218] 

on  the  animaPs  back,  and  on  being  separated  from  it,  bears 
a  close  resemblance  to  the  finest  fur,  or  to  Saxony  wool,  and 
is  especially  like  the  true  Cashmere  mohair,  out  of  which 
the  most  valuable  shawls,  etc.,  are  made.  A  friend  who  was 
traveling  in  Asia  sent  me  a  sample  of  mohair,  which  exactly 
resembles  this  fine  ivool  of  the  first  cross,  having  also 
some  of  the  coarse  hair,  and  of  the  cuticle  in  it,  showing 
that  it  had  been  shed,  and  not  shorn.  The  two  products  of 
the  half  and  of  the  three-quarter  blood  being  nearly  of  the 
same  length,  they  cannot  be  separated  by  shearing,  and  to 
gather  it  by  combing  it  out  of  the  hair  on  the  backs  of  the 
animal  is  too  tedious.  The  specimen  to  which  I  have  al- 
luded is  most  probably  the  product  of  some  other  species  of 
wool-bearing  goat,  and  not  of  a  half-blood  cross  of  different 
species,  and  is  doubtless  the  pure  Cashmere. 

If  the  half-blood  female  kid  is  bred  to  a  pure  Angora 
buck,  the  product  will  be  similar,  except  that  the  wool  will 
be  longer  in  proportion  to  the  degree  of  Angora  blood ;  and 
sometimes  long  enough  to  be  separated  by  being  shorn  from 
the  animals  so  as  to  be  cut  over  the  ends  of  the  coarse  hair. 
The  wool  will  be  long  and  fine  enough  for  many  uses  in 
manufacture,  but  there  will  generally  be  so  much  of  worth- 
less hair  in  it  as  to  make  it  of  little  value.  On  animals  of 
the  third  similar  cross,  or  of  seven- eighths  Angora  blood, 
the  fine  wool  will  always  be  so  much  longer  than  the  hair, 
that  it  admits  of  practical  separation  in  shearing ;  and  so  of 
those  of  the  fourth  cross,  while  those  of  the  fifth  cross,  and 
above  it,  bear  wool,  which,  in  every  essential  particular,  re- 
sembles that  of  pure  bred  or  imported  Angora  goats,  and 
admits  of  application  to  all  the  uses  of  the  best  imported 
mohair,  or  of  home  raised  wool  from  pure- bred  animals, 
though  it  is  always  liable  to  have  some  hair  in  it. 


[219] 

WILL  FULL  BLOOD  BUCKS  PRODUCE  THIS  WOOL  WHEN  BRED 

TO    NATIVE    FEMALES,    SIMILARLY    AS    WITH 

PURE-BRED    BUCKS? 

This  question  has  been  affirmatively  settled  by  the  expe- 
rience of  every  breeder  of  Angora  goats  in  the  United 
States,  so  far  as  I  have  ever  known  or  heard,  yet  while  sim- 
ilarly yet  not  so  perfectly  as  by  pure-bred  males  ;  the  fleeces 
which  are  produced  by  the  full-blood  bucks  being  more 
subject  to  long  and  coarse  hairs  in  them,  than  those  which 
are  the  product  of  pure-bred  bucks.  But  the  question  is  no 
longer  of  practical  value,  since  the  pure-bred  animals  have 
become  more  common,  and  the  price  of  them  has  been  re- 
duced. 

The  experience  of  breeders  and  of  manufacturers  has  also 
well  established  the  practical  value  of  the  mohair  produced 
by  crossing  the  pure-bred  bucks  on  the  native  females  for 
five  or  more  times.  About  ten  years  since  thirty-six  fleeces 
ot'  my  clip  of  1868 — two  only  of  which  were  pure-bred,  and 
many  less  than  full-blood — were  forwarded  to  Messrs. 
Bauendahl  &  Co.,  Nos.  45  and  47  Park  Place,  City  of  New 
York,  which  were  sent  by  them  to  a  manufacturer,  and 
then  sold  at  $1.25  per  pound,  upon  its  merits.  In  this  cir- 
cular for  October,  1868,  they  say:  "Mohair,  etc. — The 
present  condition  of  this  article  offers  a  favorable  opportu- 
tunity  for  raising  full-blood  goats'  wool,"  etc. — drawing  a 
distinction  between  pure-bred  and  full-blood.  These  gen- 
tlemen are  well-known  as  among  the  highest  and  most  re- 
liable authority  upon  this  subject  in  the  United  .States. 

While  I  hold  science  and  philosophy  in  the  highest  es- 
teem, it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  they  learn  their  best 
lessons  in  the  school  of  practical  experiment,  and  their  true 
teachings  can  only  be  in  conformity  to  established  facts.  As 
improvements  and  varieties  in  domestic  stock  have  hereto- 
fore been  produced  by  crossing,  climate  and  subsistence,  it 
will  be  unwise  to  reject  the  uae  of  any  of  these  means  in 


[220] 

the  future,  unless  all  improvement  is  accomplished,  all 
new  uses  supplied,  and  all  new  regions  accommodated.  But 
what  need  of  speculation  in  the  presence  of  substantial  facts? 

THE   VARIOUS    PRODUCTS   OF   THE    ANGORA    GOAT. 

Their  flesh  is  highly  nutritious,  and  easy  of  digestion ;  is 
comely  to  the  eye  and  pleasant  to  the  palate,  absorbing  seas- 
oning well.  It  is  convenient  in  size,  and  the  meat  may  be 
used  fresh,  or  when  cured.  If  fattened  on  corn,  nothing  is 
superior  to  it.  Their  milk  is  sweet  and  nutritious,  being 
often  prescribed  by  physicians  for  invalids  and  infants.  As 
with  other  breeds  of  goats,  cheese  may  be  made  of  it  of 
standard  quality.  The  pelts  of  young  animals,  taken  off 
when  the  wool  is  of  a  proper  length,  make  most  beautiful 
and  comfortable  furs  for  ladies  and  gentlemen,  which  fashion 
only  would  place  as  second  to  any  others.  Those  of  older 
animals,  when  dressed  or  tanned,  make  mats  for  doors, 
hearths,  carriages,  etc.,  of  the  most  serviceable  and  beauti- 
ful description,  and  several  sewed  together  make  a  robe  for 
a  buggy  of  the  most  comfortable  and  elegant  character.  A 
great  many  of  the  pelts  were  imported  from  abroad  into 
New  York,  a  few  years  since,  by  Messrs.  C.  G.  Gunther  & 
Co.,  at  a  cost  ef  $10  to  $30  each,  and  they  are  still  imported 
somewhat  largely  annually.  The  Angora  goat  is  being  very 
extensively  raised  in  California,  and  a  popular  goat  breeder's 
association  has  been  established  in  Sacramento,  and  an  ex- 
tensive factory  for  the  manufacture  of  their  skins  with  and 
without  the  mohair  on  them,  has  been  put  in  successful 
operation  in  San  Jose,  California,  of  which  Mr.  C.  P.  Bailey 
is  president.  Among  many  others,  I  have  sold  the  pelt, 
with  the  mohair  on  it,  of  a  yearling  at  $18.  Their  hides, 
in  foreign  countries,  make  the  morocco  leather,  which  all 
know  to  be  one  of  the  most  pleasant  and  durable  materials 
of  its.  kind.  Their  tallow  is  white,  clear  and  firm,  bearing 
a  close  resemblance  to  sperm. 


[221] 


BUT  THEIR    CROWNINF  VALUE  IS  THEIR  WOOL  OR  MOHAIR. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  officers  of  the  Kentucky  State  Agri- 
cultural Society,  and  many  other  gentlemen,  samples  of  all 
the  textile  materials  of  that  class  were  exhibited  and  exam- 
ined, and  discussed  at  length,  and  the  Angora  wool  was 
conceded  to  be  the  most  beautiful,  durable  and  valuable 
material  of  them  all.  While  it  can  be  produced  at  a  less 
cost,  by  us,  than  any  of  the  others,  it  will  also  bring  more 
money  per  pound,  the  full- blood  wool  not  being  scarcely 
distinguishable  from  the  pure-bred  and  the  imported.  It  is 
white,  lustrous,  wavy  (not  curly  or  in  a  screw),  elastic  and 
strong,  with  properties  which  enable  it  to  resist  decomposi- 
tion (from  any  cause)  better  than  any  other  textile  material, 
receiving  and  retaining  chemical  and  other  dyes  better  than 
any  other,  and  felting  so  kindly  that  this  property  is  used 
in  the  manufacture  of  some  of  its  most  costly  and  beautiful 
products;  and  so  much  so  that  the  breeders  must  shear 
promptly  at  the  shedding  season,  or  it  will  felt  on  the  backs 
and  sides  of  the  animals,  as  every  breeder  has  experienced. 

A  complete  and  extensive  collection  of  small  samples  of 
all  the  principle  wools  of  commerce,  both  plain  and  under 
several  colors,  arranged  in  a  gilt  frame,  and  under  glass, 
together  with  several  skins  of  goats,  and  of  the  "  Improved 
Kentucky  "  sheep,  with  the  wool  on  them,  were  exhibited 
by  me  at  the  National  Exhibition  at  Philadelphia  in  1876, 
and  a  medal  and  diploma  were  awarded  them.  They  have 
since  been  deposited  for  exhibition  in  the  State  Agricultural 
room  in  the  Capitol  in  Frankfort. 

The  American  Institute  at  New  York,  and  the  United 
States  Agricultural  Society  at  Philadelphia,  and  the  State 
Agricultural  Society  of  Kentucky,  adopted  resolutions 
highly  commendatory  of  these  animals  for  wool  bearing, 
and  of  their  adaptation  to  the  United  States.  The  principal 
wool  merchants  of  the  eastern  cities  have  made  repeated 


[222] 

publications  in  encouragement  of  the  production  of  mohair, 
and  several  of  them  now  make  quotations  of  it  in  their 
monthly  reports.  Besides  the  manufacture  of  it  into 
fringes,  laces,  tassels,  ornaments  and  hosiery,  several  ex- 
tensive factories  of  it  into  dress  goods,  and  into  plush  for 
the  covering  of  chairs,  sofas,  etc.,  and  especially  into  the 
covering  of  railroad  car  seats,  have  been  established  and  are 
in  successful  operation  in  the  United  States.  For  this  last 
named  use  mohair  is  especially  adapted,  and  it  will  require 
all  which  can  ever  be  produced. 

Some  of  the  mohair  which  I  have  produced  has  been 
satisfactorily  sold  on  commission  for  me  by  Messrs.  Bauen- 
dahl,  of  the  city  of  New  York.  Several  clips,  raised  by 
me  here,  and  also  my  partner  in  a  flock,  Mr.  J.  W.  Dunn, 
of  Corpus  Christi,  Texas,  has  been  satisfactorily  sold  by 
Messrs.  Kitching  Bros.,  of  82  Reade  street,  city  of  New 
York,  who  quote  it  regularly.  Messrs.  Justice,  Bateman  & 
Co.,  extensive  and  reliable  wool  merchants  of  Philadelphia, 
have  recently  issued  a  circular  specially  on  this  product, 
which  every  agricultural  paper  should  publish.  They  say 
"  mohair  fleece  can  be  raised  in  perfection  in  the  United 
States,"  and  they  give  excellent  practical  directions  for  its 
growth  and  management  which  every  goat  raiser  should  re- 
gard. 

I  have  also  shipped,  by  freight,  several  clips  to  the  Farr 
Alpaca  Company,  of  Holyoke,  Mass.,  who  have  made  to  me 
positive  reports  of  satisfactory  sales,  both  graded  and  in 
bulk,  giving  me  also  the  privilege  of  re-shipping  it  to  be 
sold  OP  commission  if  I  preferred.  I  have  also  corres- 
ponded with  Messrs.  Hall  &  Turner,  the  proprietors  of  the 
Jamestown,  New  York,  Alpaca  Company,  and  I  am  assured 
that  shipments  may  be  made  to  them  with  like  satisfaction. 
These  two  companies  alone  would  manufacture  at  least  a 
half  million  pounds  of  mohair  annually,  if  they  could  get 
that  of  American  growth  and  good  quality. 

It  is  scarcely  possible  that  the  supply  will  ever  fully 


[223] 

equal  the  demand  for  the  raw  material  in  this  country, 
where  both  sexes  are  so  fond  of  fine  appearance,  and  it  is 
already  rare  to  meet  an  elegantly  dressed  lady  or  gentleman 
without  more  or  less  of  this  material  in  their  apparel, 
though  it  is,  as  yet,  chit-fly  of  foreign  manufacture.  Though 
France,  Germany  and  Scotland  ail  manufacture  this  pro- 
duct, England  takes  the  lead,  and  it  is  said  that  she  engrosses 
two-thirds  of  all  the  wool  produced,  and  that  she  even 
does  part  of  the  spinning  for  the  French  manufactories 
of  it. 

PREPARATION    OF    THE   WOOL    FOR    MARKET. 

About  the  1st  of  April,  in  Kentucky,  when  a  somewhat 
fuzzy  appearance  in  the  fleece  denotes  that  some  of  the  goats 
begin  to  shed  their  wool,  they  should  be  well  washed  with- 
out the  use  of  soap,  in  clear  water  (and  the  warmest  acces- 
sible, though  not  artificially  heated),  and  on  a  clear  and 
sunny  day.  The  males  especially  require  washing,  as  they 
urinate  on  their  fore  legs  in  the  breeding  season.  It  may 
often  be  dispensed  with  after  a  heavy  rain,  and  especially 
with  the  females  and  wethers.  For  this  purpose,  place  a 
hog-scalding  box,  or  other  box  or  trough,  near  a  clear  pond 
or  stream,  and  fill  with  water ;  submerge  the  goat  to  the 
neck  in  it,  two  men  holding  and  rubbing.  When  the  wool 
is  cleaned  of  any  dirt,  and  of  the  old  skin  which  is  being 
shed  off,  stand  the  goat  upon  a  plank  placed  across  the  box, 
and  press  the  wool  with  the  hands,  and  let  the  water  drain 
for  a  few  minutes.  After  drying  thoroughly  for  a  day  or 
two  in  a  clean  pasture,  they  may  be  shorn  like  sheep,  if 
practicable,  cutting  off  the  wool  about  the  ends  of  the  hair, 
which  is  then  growing  out  among  the  wool  of  grade  goats. 
It  is  desirable  to  get  as  little  as  possible  of  the  old  skin  and 
of  the  growing  hair  in  the  shorn  fleece  of  wool.  Each 
fleece  should  be  carefully  rolled  up  separately,  outside  out, 
and  tied  up  securely  and  closely  with  small,  tine,  colored 
thread  or  twine.  Pack  the  fleeces  closely  in  a  bag  which 


1. 224  J 

will  contain  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hundred  pounds, 
and  it  is  ready  for  market.  The  female  goats  should  6e 
handled  with  great  care,  as,  in  this  climate,  they  are  then 
heavy  with  young. 

THE    MARKET    VALUE    OF    MOHAIR. 

The  market  value  of  mohair  fluctuates  considerably  with 
fashion  and  taste  for  alpaca  dress  goods,  which  nre  made 
chiefly  of  this  material,  notwithstanding  the  name.  The 
price  also  sympathizes  with  the  price  of  fine  lustrous  wool. 

HOW    TO    START    A    FLOCK,    AND    HOW    TO    PREPARE    THE 
MOHAIR    FOR    MARKET. 

(From  the  Courier-Journal.) 

The  recent  publication  in  your  widely-circulated  paper  of 
my  article  on  the  relative  value  of  sheep  and  goats  as  wool- 
bearing  animals  has  brought  me  very  many  letters  of  in- 
quiry from  all  parts  of  the  country  in  regard  to  Angora  or 
Cashmere  goats  (to  all  of  which  I  have  replied),  and  I  now 
wish  to  give  my  views  as  to  the  cheapest  and  most  practical 
manner  of  producing  a  flock  of  wool-bearing  animals,  and 
how  the  wool  or  mohair  can  be  best  put  in  the  market. 

The  great  obstacle  to  prompt  action  in  the  matter  is  the 
first  cost  of  a  flock,  and  this  obstacle  has  been  greatly  over- 
come by  recent  reduction  in  price  to  one  hundred  dollars 
per  pair,  instead  of  one  hundred  dollars  each,  the  former 
price.  The  purchaser  should  then  provide  himself  with 
about  fifty  select  female  common  goats  to  be  bred  to  the 
pure  buck.  These,  in  small  numbers,  are  scattered  all  over 
the  country,  and  once  could  be  had  near  Memphis,  Tenn., 
at  fifty  cents  each,  and  can  now  be  had  in  Texas  and  New 
Mexico  at  that  price.  The  mohair,  or  fine  wool,  will  be 
thus  implanted  in  the  kids  of  the  first  crop,  but  it  is  not  of 
appreciable  value,  if  shorn,  as  it  will  be  but  little  longer 
than  the  native  hair  of  the  animals;  though  all  hair,  even 


[225] 

of  cattle  and  hogs,  is  of  some  commercial  value.  The  males 
of  this  first  crop  should  be  castrated  when  young,  and  they 
will  make  (prejudice  removed)  as  acceptable  food  as  hogs  or 
sheep,  and  their  hams,  when  salted  and  dried,  can  scarcely 
be  distinguished  from  venison,  for  which  they  often  pass. 

The  pelts  of  these  animals,  when  grown,  will  defray  all 
the  expense  of  their  raising,  and  there  is  steady  market  for 
them,  many  goats  being  raised  in  some  countries  for  their 
pelts  chiefly. 

By  the  time  the  females  of  the  first  crop  are  two  years 
old  they  should  be  bred  to  a  pure  Angora  buck,  which  most 
probably  will  have  been  produced  by  the  pure  bred  female, 
purchased  at  first,  and  this  is  the  reason  why  it  is  best  to 
buy  such  a  female  at  first.  The  buck  at  first  bought  may 
be  again  bred  to  the  flock  of  common  females,  after  which 
it  will  be  best  to  sell  or  exchange  him.  The  mohair  of  the 
animals  of  the  second  crop  will  commonly  be  long  enough 
to  be  shorn  above  the  ends  of  the  hair  of  the  animals,  and 
can  be  sold  for  more  than  enough  to  defray  the  expense  of 
shearing,  etc.  The  similar  course  should  be  pursued  until 
five  crosses  have  been  made,  when  the  animals  are  called 
full  blood,  the  length  of  the  mohair  increasing  with  each 
successive  cross,  and  the  hair  disappearing  from  their  fleeces; 
though  all  of  the  animals,  even  the  thoroughbred,  will  wear, 
for  two  or  three  months,  suits  of  short,  coarse  hair,  after 
their  mohair  has  been  shed  or  shorn  annually  in  summer. 
By  the  time  four  or  five  or  more  crosses  have  been  made, 
the  animals  can  scarcely  be  distinguished  from  the  pure 
bred,  and  metal  tags  in  the  ears  of  the  pure  breds  should 
be  used  to  distinguish  them,  though  close  inspection  will 
often  disclose  some  coarse  hairs  in  the  fleeces  of  full  bloods. 
In  this  matter  I  do  not  write  from  speculation,  but  from 
matured  experience,  having  in  this  manner,  several  years 
since,  produced  a  valuable  flock,  irom  which,  besides  fre- 
quent small  sales,  I  sold  a  small  flock,  chiefly  of  mixed 
bloods,  for  $2,000  cash,  and  I  now  have  a  flock  of  sixty 
15 


[226] 

grown  females,  in  which  are  a  fair  proportion  of  pure  breeds, 
and  all  are  several  crosses  over  full  blood.  These  I  am 
about  to  breed  to  a  very  superior  buck,  either  imported  by 
Mr.  Entichydes  from  Asia  Minor,  or  is  directly  descended 
from  his  imported  animals. 

HOW  TO   PREPARE   MOHAIR   AND  WHERE   TO   SELL   IT. 

As  soon  as  the  weather  is  warm  in  the  spring,  the  goats 
will  begin  to  shed  their  mohair,  which  may  be  known  by 
fuzzy  appearance  over  their  bodies.  No  time  should  be  lost, 
but  as  soon  as  this  is  perceptible  they  should  be  shorn  like 
sheep,  omitting  the  long,  coarse  hair  of  the  beards  and  tails, 
as  they  are  not  of  much  value  from  small  flocks,  or,  if  shorn 
then,  should  be  packed  separately,  as  also  the  mane,  which 
some  goats  have.  The  fleeces  of  yearling  animals  should 
also  be  kept  separate,  as  these  are  the  most  valuable,  and 
will  be  more  easily  graded  if  the  clip  is  sold  according  to 
quality.  For  this  reason,  also,  each  fleece  should  be  tied  up 
separately  outside  out,  with  a  small,  strong,  colored  thread. 
All  impurities  of  any  sort  should  have  been  carefully  taken 
from  the  fleeces  before  being  shorn,  but  it  is  not  generally 
necessary  to  wash  the  animals.  In  the  breeding  season  the 
bucks  urinate  on  their  beards  and  on  the  wool  of  their  fore- 
legs, which  accounts  for  the  disagreeable  odor,  and  these 
animals  may  require  washing.  This  operation  may  be  easily 
performed  in  any  pure  water,  without  soap,  and  without 
heating  the  water.  After  being  shorn,  the  animals  may  re- 
quire housing  during  any  very  cold  nights  or  cold  rains. 

After  shearing,  the  mohair  may  be  packed  in  bags  of 
convenient  size  to  be  handled,  and  being  carefully  marked, 
may  be  safely  shipped,  by  freight,  to  the  East,  where  it  will 
find  a  ready  and  remunerative  market  at  any  time  of  the 
year.  I  have  thus  experienced  for  many  years,  and  more 
recently  my  mohair  has  been  sold  on  commission  by  Kitch- 
ing  Bros.,  82  Reade  street,  New  York;  at  other  times  I 


[227] 

have  sent  it  directly  to  the  Farr  Alpaca  Company,  of  Holy- 
oke,  Mass.,  and  have  always  had  prompt  and  fair  treat- 
ment. There  are  several  other  merchants  and  manufac- 
tories who  deal  in  mohair,  both  in  New  York  and  Philadel- 
phia, among  the  most  extensive  and  reliable  of  whom  are 
Messrs.  Justice,  Bateman  &  Co.,  of  122  Front  street,  Phila- 
delphia, and  I  cannot  do  better,  in  this  connection,  than  to 
quote  a  circular  which  they  have  recently  published  on  this 
subject,  as  follows : 

"  Mohair  fleece  can  be  raised  in  perfection  in  the  United 
States.  We  have  seen  samples  from  Virginia,  Kentucky, 
and  California  equal  to  any  grown  abroad.  At  the  same 
time,  we  must  candidly  say  no  native  clip  approaches,  even 
in  skillful  culture,  the  product  usually  found  in  the  Liver- 
pool market.  Those  who  wish  to  furnish  the  combing  trade, 
which  buys  the  best  material,  are  advised  to  follow  the 
directions  below :  Exclude  from  your  flock  all  animals  of 
less  than  seven-eighths  pure  blood.  Keep  the  animals 
young,  by  killing  after  taking  off  the  third  fleece.  The 
length  and  lustre  of  the  fleece  may  be  increased  by 
crossing  with  the  Van  goat.  Select  bucks  for  breeding, 
whose  locks  maintain  their  full  size  to  the  end  of  the  staple, 
that  is,  such  as  are  not  spiral.  The  value  of  fleece  is  com- 
puted from  its  length,  lustre,  quality  (fineness  of  fibre),  and 
strength.  Keep  your  flock  out  of  burry  pastures.  Burs 
frequently  cause  a  loss  of  ten  cents  a  pound  on  the  product. 
Clip  but  once  a  year,  as  early  as  practicable ;  after  the  fleece 
begins  to  shed  it  loses  in  value  very  rapidly.  Pack  the 
beard,  belly,  and  tail  wool  separately,  also  the  coarse  locks, 
brown  ends,  and  shorts,  and  send  the  clear  fleece  alone  to 
the  comber." 

These  directions  are,  of  course,  indended  to  apply  to  es- 
tablished flocks,  the  mohair  product  being  chiefly  the  object. 
As  I  am  not  familiar  with  the  Van  goat,  I  suppose  it  is 
some  variety  or  family  of  the  Angora,  which  has  not  yet 


[228] 

been  introduced  into  this  country  from   Asia  Minor,  but 
which  I  will  be  glad  to  obtain. 

Allow  me,  in  conclusion,  to  say  a  word  in  vindication  of 
the  goat,  too  much  abused  and  shunned  on  account  of  his 
breachy  habits.  These  are  to  be  attributed  almost  entirely 
to  his  keeping  the  bad  company  of  careless  farmers,  who 
keep  bad  fences,  under  which  he  learns  bad  habits  when 
young.  I  usually  keep  them  in  two  or  three  separate  flocks^ 
under  fences  of  all  kinds  (except  my  hedges  of  Osage 
orange,  which  they  would  eat  up),  and  they  are  kept  as 
securely  as  any  other  stock,  the  stone  fences  being  easily 
fixed  to  retain  them ;  and  all  other  stock  will  sometimes 
break  a  fence,  but  a  goat  never  will. 

THE   VAN   ANGORA    OR   CASHMERE   GOATS. 

Editor  Yeoman: 

The  readers  of  your  valuable  paper  may  remember  that, 
in  my  article  on  Angora  goats,  which  you  published,  allu- 
sion was  made  to  the  circular  of  Messrs.  Justice,  Bateman 
&  Co.,  of  Philadelphia,  in  which  they  recommended  the 
crossing  of  the  Angora  goats  of  the  United  States  with  the 
Van  goat  of  Asia  Minor ;  and  in  which  they  gave,  also, 
valuable  directions  for  the  production  and  preparation  of 
mohair,  or  goat's  wool. 

Desiring  to  avail  myself  of  every  valuable  improvement 
in  breeding  these  animals,  I  have  instituted  inquiries  for 
the  Van  goat,  and  I  have  a  recent  letter  from  Col.  Keene 
Richards,  of  Georgetown,  Ky.,  in  which  he  informed  me 
that,  during  his  extensive  travels  in  Asia  Minor,  when  he 
was  selecting  and  shipping  his  fast  horses,  he  saw  large 
flocks  of  the  Van  goat  on  the  borders  of  Lake  Van,  be- 
tween Kars  and  Mosul.  Also  that  he  has  a  fine  oil  paint- 
ing of  a  good  specimen  of  one  drawn  by  Mr.  E.  Troy  some 
years  since. 

If  further  developments  conduce  to  show  these  animals 


[229] 

as  superior  to  all  others  of  their  race,  I  will  hope 
to  obtain  one  for  crossing  on  my  flock  next  season. 
At  present  I  am  breeding  a  flock  of  sixty  choice  females 
to  the  superior  buck,  Ulysses  II.,  of  Eutychides'  im- 
portation. 

The  great  decline  in  the  price  of  sheep's  wool  since  the 
war  has  not  only  given  to  the  public  taste  a  strong  direction 
to  such  breeds  as  are  best  for  the  production  of  wool  and 
mutton  combined,  but  also  to  the  breeding  of  wool- bearing 
goats;  and  it  has  been  uniformly  demonstrated  that  the 
same  feed  which  will  subsist  three  sheep  will  also  subsist 
five  goats  of  the  wool-bearing  kind  ;  and  the  fleeces  of  these 
five  goats  will  produce  about  double  the  value  of  the  wool 
of  the  three  sheep,  while  they  will  also  produce  more  meat 
of  equal  if  not  better  quality ;  and  so,  also,  of  their  hides, 
and  their  tallow,  and  their  skins  with  the  mohair  on  them. 

Although  the  times  are  so  hard  and  so  repressive  of 
everthing  new  and  enterprising,  yet  I  have  very  many  more 
inquiries  for  goats  than  ever  before;  also  several  proposi- 
tions to  breed  them  on  the  shares,  and  I  am  making  some 
valuable  sales  to  various  parts  of  the  country. 
Respectfully,  etc., 

ROBERT  W.  SCOTT. 
December,  1878. 

GOATS    IN   TENNESSEE. 

GRASSY  COVE,  TENN.,  June  23,  1377. 
J.  B.  KILLEBREW,  Esq. 

Dear  Sir — Yours  of  the  2d  inst.  is  at  hand.  I  wrote  an 
article  for  The  South  in  March,  which  I  enclose.  I  do  not 
know  as  I  can  write  anything  much  different  and  do  justice 
to  the  subject.  Every  month's  experience  more  fully  con- 
vinces me  that  the  raising  of  the  Angora  goats  in  the  Cum- 
berland Mountains  can  be  made  a  great  success.  A  flock 
of  from  200  to  500  are  absolutely  less  trouble  than  ten  or  a 
dozen,  as  they  constitute  a  community  of  themselves,  and 


[230] 

do  not  seek  the  barn  and  other  stock  for  association,  and 
consequently  are  less  liable  to  get  in  mischief. 

Yours  truly,  LORENZO  STRATTON. 

[From  The  South.] 

Your  letter  is  at  hand,  asking  for  any  information,  de- 
rived from  personal  experience,  on  the  subject  of  Angora 
goat  raising  on  the  table-lands  of  East  Tennessee. 

Although  it  is  a  little  out  of  my  line  to  write  for  publi- 
cation, I  can,  after  my  style,  give  you  a  short  history  of  the 
facts.  Two  years  ago  last  April  I  purchased  seventy  goats; 
eight  of  them,  four  ewes  and  four  bucks,  were  supposed  to 
be  full-blood  Angoras;  thirty  were  grades  or  half-bloods; 
the  balance  were  the  common  scrub  goat  of  the  country. 
The  winter  previous  to  my  purchase  the  goats  had  been 
confined  in  a  small  enclosure,  improperly  fed,  and  without 
opportunity  to  help  themselves.  They  were  consequently 
in  a  bad  condition ;  several  of  the  old  ones  had  died ;  be- 
tween fifty  and  sixty  kids  had  been  lost  in  February  and 
March,  and  it  was  with  some  difficulty  that  I  succeeded  in 
getting  my  purchase  home  alive.  But  I  had  a  pasture  ready 
for  them  that  has  proved  to  be  well  suited  to  their  wants; 
it  was  a  mile  and  a  half  long  by  a  quarter  of  a  mile  wide; 
that  is  to  say,  the  pasture  reached  from  the  bottom  lands  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  up  the  mountain,  and  then  extended  one 
mile  and  a  half  parallel  with  the  mountain  and  bottom 
lands;  it  is  something  over  a  mile  to  the  top  of  the  moun- 
tain, and  my  pasture  hardly  extends  a  fourth  of  the  way 
up.  This  side  hill  is  a  rich  limestone  soil,  but  excessively 
rocky  and  rough,  with  ledges  and  cliffs  extending  down 
near  the  middle  of  the  pasture,  more  than  half  way  across 
it.  A  flock  of  Spanish  sheep  had  run  in  this  pasture  for 
several  years;  but  the  bushes  and  briers  were  gaining  on 
the  sheep,  and  the  acres  of  clover  were  growing  less  and 
less  every  year.  Into  this  pasture  I  turned  the  goats  on 
the  9th  day  of  April.  Leaves  on  the  briers  and  bushes 


[231] 

were  not  yet  full  size,  but  sufficiently  grown  to  give  the 
surroundings  the  green  and  attractive  appearance  peculiar 
to  spring. 

The  way  the  goats  went  for  the  briers  and  bushes  demon- 
strated at  once  that  the  right  kind  of  stock  was  in  the  right 
place.  They  soon  found  the  cliff  of  rocks,  where  there  was 
a  good  shelter  from  storms  and  a  nice  shade  from  the  sum- 
mer sun,  and  at  this  place  they  have  made  their  home,  or 
headquarters,  ever  since;  and  they  were  so  well  suited  with 
the  place  that  it  was  six  or  eight  months  before  they  found 
out  that  they  were  surrounded  by  a  fence,  for  they  had  not 
yet  made  a  track  within  fifty  rods  of  either  end  of  the  pas- 
ture, having  paid  their  respects  exclusively  to  the  briars 
and  bushes  in  their  immediate  vicinity.  But  in  the  second 
year,  when  the  briers  and  bushes  failed  them  in  the  pasture, 
they  found  their  way  through  the  fence  on  the  back  side, 
and  still  continue  to  run  on  the  side-hill  above  the  lot,  but 
always  come  down  to  the  cliffs  in  the  pasture  at  night.  I 
have  found  these  strongly  marked  differences  between  sheep 
and  goats : 

First.  Goats  will  not  feed  on  clover  or  other  tame  grasses 
when  they  have  free  access  to  briers  and  bushes.  Goats 
kept  on  tame  grass  and  clover  pastures,  and  treated  in  win- 
ter as  Vermonters  treat  their  sheep,  do  not  make  a  success. 
The  goat  is  a  browsing  animal,  and  delights  in  a  warm 
climate  and  high  land. 

Second.  Sheep,  with  good  clover  and  other  tame  grasses, 
will  not  disturb  bushes  or  briers;  yet  it  is  quite  true  that, 
in  the  absence  of  tame  grasses,  sheep  will  exist  on  briers, 
bushes,  etc. 

Such  being  the  facts,  goats  have  the  preference  in  the 
Cumberland  mountains,  for  the  reason  that  the  tame  grasses 
are  here  in  very  limited  quantities,  while  the  favorite  feed 
for  the  goats  is  practically  without  limit,  and  does  not  cost 
a  penny.  The  first  winter  I  commenced  to  feed  my  goats 
about  Christmas,  and  to  the  seventy  I  fed  a  four-quart 


[232] 

measure  of  corn  every  evening  until  sometime  in  March. 
The  corn  was  worth  50  or  60  cents  per  bushel.  Say  as 
much  more  for  the  trouble  of  feeding  them,  and  you  can 
readily  estimate  the  cost  of  wintering  seventy  goats.  The 
next  winter  I  did  not  feed  them  until  the  20th  of  March. 
At  this  time  we  had  a  snow  of  eight  or  ten  inches  that 
lasted  three  days.  I  brought  the  goats  to  the  barn  and  fed 
them  all  the  hay  they  would  eat  during  the  snow. 

This  winter  snow  fell  on  the  eve  of  the  1st  of  January  a 
foot  deep,  and  laid  on  a  week  or  ten  days ;  and  on  New 
Year's  day  we  brought  the  goats  to  the  barn  and  fed  them 
with  hay  until  bare  ground  appeared,  when  the  goats 
marched  off  for  the  mountain,  where  they  have  remained 
since,  amusing  themselves  by  nipping,  browsing  and  picking 
acorns. 

If  the  bucks  are  allowed  to  run  with  the  flock,  there 
would  be  two  crops  of  kids  per  year.  One  crop  coming  in 
the  fall  or  winter,  would  require  extra  care,  or  many  kids 
would  be  lost.  I  therefore  decided  to  put  the  bucks  in  a 
different  lot  and  keep  them  separate  until  the  20th  of  No- 
vember. The  result  was,  that  the  first  kid  I  saw7  was  on 
the  21st  of  April,  and  within  a  week  I  could  count  between 
fifty  and  sixty,  and  there  were  only  forty  ewes  in  the  flock, 
the  balance  being  mostly  wethers. 

Last  spring  my  flock  was  increased  by  seventy-five  kids; 
and  as  I  use  only  the  full- blood  Angora  bucks,  the  grade 
and  quality  is  improving  rapidly,  although  not  of  the  first 
quality  of  wool;  yet  I  shall  have  an  hundred  goats  to  shear 
this  spring,  and  another  crop  of  kids.  The  wool  or  mohair, 
being  mostly  from  grade  goats  and  not  fine  enough  for  top 
prices  in  the  market,  we  have  had  it  worked  up  on  shares 
for  domestic  use. 

Within  the  three  years  between  thirty  and  forty  of  the 
wethers  have  found  their  way  to  our  table;  half  as  many 
more  have  been  sold  to  our  neighbors,  principally  for  state 
occasions,  for  the  flesh  of  the  Angora  or  grades  is  consid- 


[233] 

ered  a  gre;U  delicacy.  The  skins  have  been  sent  to  the 
tanner;  so  we  are  eating  their  flesh,  dressing  in  their  fleece, 
and  being  shod  in  morocco,  with  the  prospect  of  gay  car- 
pets and  kid  gloves  in  the  near  future — not  French  kid,  or 
rat  skin,  but  genuine  Tennessee  kid. 

The  Cumberland  Mountains,  or  Table-lands,  are  some- 
thing over  one  hundred  miles  long,  and  have  an  average 
width  of  forty  miles,  interspersed  here  and  there  with  small 
valleys  and  coves  of  great  fertility.  Such  lands,  with  some 
improvements,  are  worth  from  eight  to  ten  dollars  per  acre ; 
but  the  mountain  proper  can  be  bought  at  from  fifty  cents 
to  one  dollar  and  a  half  per  acre.  It  has  an  elevation  suf- 
ficient to  temper  the  heat  of  summer,  and  then  it  is  far 
enough  south  to  give  us  short  and  mild  winters,  and  is 
proverbially  one  of  the  healthiest  countries  in  the  United 
States.  I  have  sometimes  thought  that  if  some  of  the  peo- 
ple about  New  York,  and  perhaps  in  other  places,  that  are 
complaining  of  hard  times,  and  find  it  difficult  to  meet  city 
expenses,  were  here,  with  a  flock  of  goats,  they  might  be 
well  fed,  well  dressed,  and  well  shod,  for  goat  meat  can  be 
raised  inside  of  one  Gent  a  pound,  to  say  nothing  of  their 
fleece  and  skins,  both  of  which  can  be  worked  upon  shares. 
Then,  you  see,  they  might  dismiss  the  currency  question, 
and  let  monopolists  and  bank  panics  go  to  the  dogs. 

LETTER    OF    MR.    JOSEPH    PHILIPS. 

Mr.  Joseph  Philips,  of  Davidson  county  has  been  very  suc- 
cessful in  raising  Angoras,  and  he  has  kindly  consented  to 
give  the  State  the  benefit  of  his  experience  in  goat  raising. 
But  it  is  better  that  he  should  speak  for  himself,  which  he 
does  as  follows : 

Though  the  Angora  goat  is  the  last  contribution  of  the 
animal  kingdom  to  the  manufacturing  and  art  industries  of 
the  world,  it  nevertheless  has  occupied  a  place  in  the  primi- 
tive industries  and  necessities  of  the  nomadic  tribes  of  Cen- 


[234] 

tral  Asia  prior  to  the  advent  of  our  Savior  on  earth,  and  at 
a  remote  period  anterior  to  its  introduction  to  its  present 
recognized  home  in  Angora,  Asia  Minor. 

There  is  an  entire  absence  of  any  reference  to  this  animal 
as  characterized  by  its  long,  silken  and  attractive  fleece,  by 
any  of  the  earliest  classic  writers  of  antiquity,  or  in  that  old- 
est of  historic  monuments,  the  Bible.  The  goat  is  frequently 
mentioned,  but  no  allusion  is  made  to  its  fleece,  hence  we 
may  infer  the  long  fleece-bearing  goat  was  introduced  sub- 
sequently to  Asia  Minor  during  some  incursion  of  predatory 
tribes  from  Central  Asia,  where  we  have  abundant  proof  of 
its  existence  in  the  exportation  of  mohair  from  Chinese  ports 
before  the  exportation  of  the  raw  material  was  permitted 
from  Angora. 

The  earliest  notice  we  have  of  the  Angora  goat  is  in  the 
sixteenth  century,  and  though  since  known  to  naturalists  as 
possessing  a  valuable  fleece  for  the  manufacture  of  useful  and 
rare  textile  fabrics,  its  acclimation  in  Europe  has  been  but 
feebly  tested,  and  in  fact  its  success  in  any  other  clime  than 
Angora  seems  to  have  been  deferred  to  the  enterprise,  en- 
ergy and  intelligence  of  Americans,  who,  with  characteristic 
zeal,  have  imported  them  in  considerable  numbers,  and  are 
now  reproducing  them  with  fleeces  fully  up  in  fineness,  and 
even  better,  than  the  clip  from  imported  parents. 

Owing  to  prohibitory  restrictions  preventing  the  exporta- 
tion of  these  animals  until  recent  years  from  Angora, 
coupled  with  the  high  cost  of  transatlantic  transportation, 
the  possession  of  Angoras  has  been  a  privilege  enjoyed  only 
by  a  few,  and  consequently  regarded  by  the  masses  as  an 
exceptional  luxury  without  practical  utility  or  profit. 

The  first  Angoras  imported  to  the  United  States,  owing  to 
fraudulent  representations  as  to  the  value  of  the  mohair, 
sold  for  fabulous  sums.  Buyers  of  this  importation  failing 
to  obtain  a  market  for  the  mohair,  the  interest  sickened  and 
was  finally  lost  sight  of  in  the  more  engrossing  events  of  the 
late  civil  war. 


[235] 

Until  a  few  years  since  the  recollection  of  the  first  trans- 
fers of  Angoras  had  operated  adversely  to  the  development 
of  the  interest,  and  the  enterprise  was  stifled  under  the  con- 
viction that  there  was  no  demand  or  market  for  mohair. 
J5ven  at  the  present  time,  among  an  intelligent  class  of  wool 
growers  in  the  United  States,  there  is  an  entire  ignorance 
of  the  existence  of  mills  in  New  York  and  other  States  for 
the  conversion  of  mohair,  besides  both  a  domestic  and 
foreign  demand  largely  in  excess  of  the  annual  clip  of  our 
country. 

The  mohair  of  commerce,  strictly  the  product  of  the  An- 
gora goat,  has  its  individual  place  in  the  textile  fabrics. 
Though  often  combined  with  cotton,  wool  and  silk,  it  differs 
mainly  from  wool  in  the  absence  of  any  felting  property, 
and  on  account  of  its  lustre,  elasticity,  strength  and  durabil- 
ity, is  admirably  suited  for  furniture  plushes,  and  being 
nearly  indestructible,  is  used  by  nearly  all  of  the  railroads. 
It  is  also  used  in  the  manufacture  of  the  finest  ladies'  and 
men's  wear,  where  brilliancy  and  last  are  desired.  The 
commercial  value  of  mohair  depends  on  condition,  length, 
lustre  and  fineness,  and  varies  from  fifty  cents  to  one  dollar 
per  pound. 

The  Angora  crosses  readily  with  the  native  American 
goat,  the  fifth  cross  producing  the  full  blood,  which  is  iden- 
tical in  appearance  with  the  pure  goat,  as  well  as  producing 
a  fleece  worth  the  same  as  mohair  from  the  pure  animal. 
Some  authorities  contend,  in  crossing  the  Angora  on  the 
American  or  native  goat,  that  the  native  strain  can  never 
be  eliminated,  and  will  re-appear,  notwithstanding  the  hy- 
brid by  each  successive  cross  is  constantly  approaching,  but 
will  never  attainUhe  type  of  perfection  of  the  pure  Angora. 
These  same  authorities  forget  that  the  natives  of  Angora 
frequently  repair  losses  in  their  flocks  by  crossing  the  white 
Angora,  with  its  silken  ringlets,  on  the  black  Hurd  goat, 
which,  after  the  third  or  fourth  cross,  establishes  the  type  of 
the  white  Angora.  This  process  of  crossing  in  its  mother 


[236] 

country  explains  the  presence  of  brown  or  yellow  tinted 
coarse  hair  that  succeeds  the  annual  shedding  of  the  mohair, 
which  is  in  turn  shed,  and  displaced  by  the  mohair  on  some 
imported  animals. 

The  facility  with  which  ihe  Angora  crosses  on  the  native 
American  goat,  and  the  aptitude  they  possess  in  acclimation, 
coupled  with  the  boundless  territory  in  the  United  States 
suited  directly  and  only  to  the  subsistence  of  goats,  all  com- 
bined, give  an  augury  of  an  industry  limited  only  by  the 
boundaries  of  our  national  possessions,  and  second  to  no 
other  agricultural  interest  in  revenue  and  profit. 

The  goat  is  both  graminivorous  and  herbivorous,  but  when 
left  to  a  choice  of  food,  will  subsist  entirely  on  bushes,  briers 
and  weeds,  and  on  that  class  of  vegetation  that  serves  as  an 
impediment  to  grass,  and  is  rejected  by  all  other  stock,  and 
will  earn  his  keeping  in  the  service  rendered  as  a  vegetable 
scavenger  in  ridding  any  farm  of  briers  and  bushes. 

By  a  comparative  analysis  of  the  profits  arising  from 
sheep  husbandry  and  Angora  breeding,  though  I  would  not 
disparage  the  sheep  interest  by  advocating  a  reduction  of 
flocks  or  numbers,  still  the  Angora  interest  is  susceptible  of 
indefinite  extension  without,  in  any  way,  molesting  the  pro- 
duction of  wool  and  mutton.  Sheep  husbandry,  per  se,  im- 
plies perennial  grass  and  high  priced  lands,  while  Angora 
breeding  signifies  just  the  reverse — thrives  best  on  lands 
devoid  of  grass — rocky,  brush  hill  tops,  abandoned  gully- 
washed  fields.  The  Cumberland  mountains,  with  an  alti- 
tude above  the  fogs  and  heavy  dews,  covered  with  bushes  and 
briers  for  food,  and  its  cliffs  and  protecting  rocks  as  coverts 
and  safe  retreats  against  rain,  snow  and  wintry  winds,  will, 
at  no  distant  day,  be  appropriated  as  the" ranch  of  white, 
silken  fleeced  Angoras.  The  amount  of  capital  required  in 
starting  a  flock  of  2,000  native  ewes  with  full  blood  Angora 
bucks,  would  be  small  in  comparison  with  an  enterprise  of 
the  same  magnitude  with  sheep.  Two  herders,  with  four 
shepherd  dogs,  would  be  ample  force  to  manage  this  num- 


[237] 

ber  of  goats.  As  the  wild  natural  subsistence  is  consumed 
in  one  locality  the  range  could  be  changed.  Temporary 
shelters  facing  southward  and  enclosed  on  the  north  and 
west  sides  as  wind  screens,  would  furnish  protection  from 
rain  and  snow.  By  keeping  rock  salt  in  the  vicinity  of 
these  shelters,  the  goats  would  return  at  night  from  the 
range  without  the  assistance  of  herders. 

With  an  experience  covering  twenty  years  in  breeding 
Angoras,  they  have  proven  universally  healthy  and  free 
from  the  diseases  and  contagions  that  so  often  decimate 
flocks  of  sheep.  There  is  but  one  ailment  to  which  they 
are  subject,  and  that,  an  inflammation  of  the  hoof,  resulting 
from  running  on  grass  sod ;  this  would  not  occur,  or,  if  so, 
only  to  a  limited  extent  on  rocky,  dry  ground,  free  from 
grass.  The  application  of  pulverized  bluestone  in  the  cleft 
of  the  hoof,  and  coal  tar  afterwards,  is  a  prompt  and  certain 
remedy.  This  inflammation  lames  but  seldom  ever  proves 
fatal,  and  never  when  treated  in  due  time. 

The  Angora  goat  probably  more  than  any  other  domestic 
animal  demands  freedom  and  perfect  ventilation,  and  suc- 
cumbs to  close  confinement  in  imperfectly  ventilated  quarters. 
For  this  reason  he  is  enabled  to  endure  the  inclemency  of 
winter  far  better,  and  will  obtain  subsistence  under  circum- 
stances fatal  to  sheep. 

By  nature  this  goat  is  organized  for  high,  dry,  rocky  al- 
titudes; can  subsist  for  a  much  longer  time  without  water 
than  sheep,  and  this  attribute,  with  his  capacity  to  subsist 
on  scant  vegetation,  suits  him  for  vast  areas  in  the  extreme 
West  subject  to  annual  visitations  of  drouth,  and  unsuited 
to  any  other  industry.  There  are  many  portions  of  Western 
Texas,  Arizona,  Colorado,  New  and  Old  Mexico,  whose  to- 
pography, climate,  temperature  and  hygrometric  conditions 
are  the  same  as  the  home  of  the  Angora  in  Asia  Minor,  and 
where  the  native  Mexican  goat  can  be  had  by  thousands  at 
fifty  cents  a  head  as  a  basis  for  crossing  with  Angora  bucks. 
The  mountains  of  Tennessee,  North  Carolina  and  North 


238] 

Alabama,  as  well  as  the  pine  woods  of  Georgia,  Alabama, 
Mississippi  and  Louisiana,  are  well  suited  to  breeding  An- 
goras, the  pine  woods  particularly  exempting  the  young  kids 
from  danger  of  extreme  cold,  which  frequently  proves  fatal 
in  more  northern  latitudes. 

The  period  of  gestation  with  the  Angora  goat  is  from  one 
hundred  and  forty-five  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  days,  and 
as  they  produce  but  once  annually,  the  period  of  pregnancy 
should  be  so  arranged  as  to  terminate  in  early  spring,  after 
all  danger  from  cold  winds  and  rains  has  passed,  which  in 
this  State  is  about  April  1st.  In  States  south  of  Tennessee 
October  1st,  and  in  Tennessee  November  1st,  is  the  proper 
time  to  couple  the  ewes  with  bucks.  Until  young  kids 
have  suckled  they  are  sensitive  to  cold,  but  having  once 
nursed  their  vitality  is  probably  greater  than  the  young  of 
any  other  domestic  animal.  When  three  weeks  old  all 
male  kids  not  needed  for  sale  or  for  use  in  the  flock  should 
be  castrated,  as  the  kids  are  easily  taken  at  this  age  on  the 
range,  and  the  wound  is  rapidly  cicatrized.  The  wethers, 
if  kept  until  two  years  old,  become  fat  and  command  the 
same  price  as  sheep  of  the  same  age. 

The  flesh  of  a  two  year  old  wether  in  juiciness,  texture 
and  delicacy  of  flavor,  is  superior  to  the  finest  Southdown 
mutton,  partaking  of  the  flavor  both  of  mutton  and  venison, 
and  often  sold  as  the  former  from  the  butchers'  stalls.  The 
Angora  clips  from  two  to  six  pounds  of  mohair,  and  is  finest 
when  the  animal  is  one  year  old,  maintaining  quite  a  uniform 
standard  of  fineness  until  four  years  of  age,  when  the  quality 
begins  to  deteriorate,  and  becomes  coarse  at  eight  years  old. 
Its  age  is  from  eight  to  twelve  years,  and  death  is  generally 
the  result  of  superannuation. 

The  claims  of  this  animal  on  the  attention  of  agriculturists 
and  stock  breeders  have  been  held  in  abeyance  through  pre- 
judice, and  a  want  of  a  proper  conception  of  the  uses  for 
which  nature  designed  it.  Independent  of  the  value  of  the 
animal  for  its  fleece  and  flesh,  it  possesses  a  mechanical 


[239] 

value  in  its  daily  search  for  food  which  is  the  representative 
of  so  much  manual  labor  economized  in  the  complete  de- 
struction of  briers  and  bushes.  The  Angora  goat  is  the 
only  agent  outside  of  hired  labor  that  will  serve  this  purpose, 
and  his  insatiate  appetite  for  buds  and  leaves  is  the  motive 
power  to  his  energy,  that  never  tires  so  long  as  a  bush  or 
brier  is  in  sight. 

Col.  B.  F.  Cockrill  informs  me  that  he  annually  expended 
three  hundred  dollars  in  cutting  blackberry  bushes  from  his 
grass  lots  until  he  obtained  a  flock  of  Angoras,  which  have 
entirely  cleaned  his  farm  of  briers ;  his  experience  is  only 
a  repetition  of  my  own. 

JOSEPH  PHILIPS. 

Nashville,  Tenn.,  Sept,  2,  1879. 

MANUFACTURE   OF    GOAT   FLEECE. 

(Agricultural  Eeport  of  1867.) 

Mr.  Israel  S.  Diehl,  formerly  United  States  Consul  at 
Batavia,  Java,  was  deputed  to  visit  Europe  the  past  year  to 
investigate  the  manufacture  of  Angora  or  Cashmere  fleeces, 
with  reference  to  its  introduction  into  the  United  States. 

The  acclimation  of  these  goats  in  this  country  is  an  es- 
tablished fact.  For  several  years,  in  different  parts  of  the 
Union,  the  Angora  goat  has  been  bred,  both  pure  and 
crossed  with  our  native  goat.  Far  from  deteriorating  by 
the  transfer,  as  had  been  predicted,  it  is  found  that  in  some 
parts  of  the  country  even  the  unmixed  breed  of  the  im- 
ported goats  has  shown  evident  signs  of  improvement  re- 
sulting from  the  change.  This  branch  of  pastoral  industry 
has  begun  to  assume  very  considerable  prominence,  as  is  in- 
dicated by  the  fact  that  during  the  past  year  not  less  than 
$100,000  have  been  paid  for  these  goats  in  Ohio  alone. 

In  order  to  test  the  quality  of  the  fleeces  produced  in  this 
country,  Mr.  Diehl,  prior  to  his  departure  for  Europe,  col- 
lected specimens  from  the  different  flocks  and  localities,  from 


[240] 

Massachusetts  to  California,  and  subsequently  compared 
them  with  foreign  fleeces  at  the  Paris  Exposition  and  else- 
where, both  in  Europe  and  Asia.  His  own  deliberate 
opinion  is  that  in  fineness,  delicacy,  and  beauty,  the 
American  fleeces  were  equal,  if  not  superior,  to  the  choicest 
Oriental  specimens  met  with.  On  the  subsequent  exhibi- 
tion of  these  samples  at  Paris  and  Roubaix,  in  France,  and 
in  London  and  Bradford,  in  England,  the  manufacturers 
expressed  the  most  delighted  surprise  at  their  beauty  and 
facility  of  manipulation,  pronouncing  them  fully  equal  to 
the  best  imported  Asiatic  fleeces. 

It  is  stated  that  most  of  last  year's  clip  was  sold  on  com- 
mission by  a  single  New  York  house.  Three  manufactories 
have  provided  machinery  for  its  experimental  manufacture. 
These  parties  ventured  to  pay  for  fleeces,  varying  from 
three- fourths  to  pure  breed,  from  fifty  cents  to  one  dollar 
and  fifty  cents  per  pound.  The  goats  shear  from  two  to 
eight  pounds  each,  according  to  blood,  age,  and  sire,  hence 
it  is  far  more  profitable,  even  at  these  experimental  prices, 
to  raise  goat's  fleece  than  sheep  wool.  The  establishment 
and  extension  of  this  manufacture  cannot  fail  to  stimulate 
its  increase  and  secure  its  permanancy.  For  combed  and 
washed  fleece,  suited  to  fancy  work,  much  higher  prices 
have  already  been  realized.  Skins  of  yearling  wethers, 
from  seven-eighths  to  fifteen-sixteenths  pure  breed,  have 
been  sold  at  eighteen  dollars  apiece. 

Having  ascertained  our  manufacturing  deficiencies,  Mr. 
Diehl  next  visited  the  Paris  Exposition,  where  he  directed 
his  attention  to  the  fabrics  of  various  kinds  of  goat's  fleece. 
He  was  astonished  and  delighted  at  the  extent,  rarity,  deli- 
cacy and  exquisite  beauty  of  the  specimens  contributed  by 
the  looms  of  Asia  Minor,  India,  France,  England,  Ger- 
many, and  other  countries  represented  in  this  department  of 
the  Exposition.  These  manufactures  consisted  of  shawls, 
camlets,  challis,  mohairs,  poplins,  velvets,  delaines,  hosiery, 
yarns,  gowns,  robes,  rugs,  fur-trimmings,  tapels,  etc.  Some 


[241| 

'of  them  were  made  of  pure  goat's  fleece,  and  others  of  the 
fleece  mixed  with  wool,  cotton,  silks,  and  other  fibres,  im- 
parting to  these  compounds  a  luster,  strength,  and  durability 
which  no  other  fibre  except  silk  will  secure.  Nearly  every 
nation  represented  at  the  Exposition  presented  some  beauti- 
ful manufactures  of  goat's  fleece.  India,  England,  France, 
and  Austria,  seemed  to  excel  in  the  more  delicate  fabrics, 
while  Turkey  exhibited  the  greatest  variety  and  richness  of 
the  raw  material. 

In  England  the  manipulation  of  this  staple  is  practically 
monopolized  by  a  few  parties,  who  appear  adverse  to  im- 
parting any  information  in  regard  to  the  manufacture  and 
sale  of  their  fabrics. 

The  fleece  manufactured  in  England  is  mainly  produced 
in  Asia  Minor  from  the  Angora  goat.  It  is  imported  to  the 
extent  of  3,000,000  pounds  per  annum,  and  is  known  in 
commerce  by  the  name  of  mohair. 

Messrs.  Hughes  &  Ronald,  wool  brokers  of  Liverpool, 
in  a  recent  report,  thus  speak  of  this  Angora  fleece : 

"  The  importation  of  mohair  is  of  comparatively  recent 
date.  It  is  scarcely  a  quarter  of  a  century  since  it  was  in- 
troduced into  this  country.  It  was  for  some  time  chiefly 
used  for  the  list  ends  of  wollen  cloths,  and  commanded  but 
little  attention,  but  for  some  years  past  it  has  been  greatly 
gaining  in  favor  for  the  fancy  trade,  and  has  now  become  an 
article  of  considerable  importance,  our  annual  import  being 
3,000,000  pounds  weight.  It  is  particularly  adapted  for 
damasks,  velvet  for  coach-linings  and  curtains,  and  ladies' 
dresses,  mixed  with  cotton  and  silk,  and  produces  a  most 
agreeable  texture.  A  large  quantity  of  the  yarn  spun  in 
this  country  is  exported  to  France  and  Germany,  where  it  is 
chiefly  manufactured  into  velvet.  The  fashion  has  this  year 
run  very  much  upon  mohair  for  ladies'  dresses,  and  every 
thing  on  the  spot  has  been  bought  up  for  home  consump- 
tion." 

16 


[242] 

The  supply  of  Angora  fleece  in  Asia  Minor  is  limited  and 
precarious;  access  to  it  is  both  difficult  and  dangerous  from 
the  jealousy  of  the  government  and  the  barbarous  bigotry 
of  the  people ;  hence,  English  and  continental  manufac- 
turers are  looking  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  Australia, 
the  United  States,  and  South  America  for  an  increased  pro- 
duction of  this  staple  to  meet  their  necessities.  The  value 
of  this  entire  interest  would  be  enormously  enhanced  by 
the  opening  of  an  adequate  and  permanent  source  of 
supply. 

In  Europe  the  fleece  is  spun  into  yarn,  mostly  •  in 
England,  or  at  Boubaix,  in  France,  thence  distributed  over 
Europe  for  manufacture  into  cloth.  The  excellence  of  the 
yarn  spun  in  England  and  Boubaix  is  due  partly  to  superior 
skill,  partly  to  peculiar  and  improved  machinery,  and  partly 
to  natural  and  artificial  humidity  of  the  atmosphere. 

From  very  transparent  motives  the  process  of  spinning 
has  been  represented  by  those  in  the  interest  of  the  monop- 
oly as  very  expensive  and  difficult,  nay,  even  a  profound 
secret,  known  only  to  those  now  engaged  in  the  business; 
but  these  representations  were  flatly  contradicted  by  the 
exhibitions  at  Paris  of  a  great  variety  of  machinery  for 
carding,  scrubbing,  spinning,  and  weaving  the  tiptik  or 
Angora  fleece.  This  machinery,  purporting  to  have  been 
made  largely  in  Bradford  and  Koubaix,  two  great  seats  of 
yarn  production,  entirely  exploded  the  assumption. 

The  delicate  processes  of  modern  machinery  surpass  even 
the  quaint  and  exquisite  skill  of  oriental  operatives,  while 
in  accuracy  of  design  and  cheapness  of  execution  there  is  a 
still  greater  difference.  This  enables  the  European  manu- 
facturer to  purchase  the  raw  material  of  Asia  Minor,  to  pay 
export  and  import  duties,  and  then  undersell  the  Asiatic 
fabric,  forstalling  its  entire  western  market. 

Mr.  Diehl  visited  Angora,  and  examined  the  looms  and 
processes  of  manufacture  in  use  among  the  natives.  These 
he  found  to  be  exceedingly  crude  and  simple.  The  fleece 


j.243] 

is  first  taken  to  a  running  stream,  where  it  is  washed  by 
hand  and  trampled  under  foot  in  the  water.  It  is  then 
spread  upon  the  sand  to  dry  and  bleach,  after  which  it  is 
assorted  according  to  fineness,  length,  and  purity.  It  is 
then  hackled  on  a  simple,  old-fashioned  hackle,  consisting 
of  a  few  dozen  long  iron  nails  driven  through  a  board. 
After  hackling,  the  fleece  is  placed  in  bundles  or  rolls  and 
spun  into  yarn,  mostly  by  the  women  and  children.  For 
this  purpose  a  common  distaff  is  used,  or  a  stick  from  twelve 
to  eighteen  inches  in  length,  with  cross  pieces,  rendering  it 
about  equivalent  to  a  large  spool.  It  is  then  ready  for  the 
loom.  This  instrument  in  Angora  is  of  the  simplest  and 
rudest  construction,  and  of  the  same  unvarying  type  that 
has  been  used  by  countless  generations.  Asiatic  industry  is 
frugal  in  labor-saving  processes.  When  once  machinery  is 
brought  to  such  a  degree  of  efficiency  as  to  render  it  barely 
possible  for  an  unlimited  amount  of  labor  to  supplement 
and  supply  its  deficiencies,  no  further  improvement  is  made. 
Men  then  subject  themselves,  their  minds,  and  muscles  to  a 
training  which  makes  them  almost  a  part  of  the  machines 
they  operate.  Caucasian  mind  seeks  to  emancipate  itself 
from  all  unnecessary  labor  by  transferring  it  to  machinery, 
thus  leaving  the  mental  faculty  free  for  intellectual  labor. 
Each  of  its  tasks  it  devolves  successfully  upon  inanimate 
matter,  while  it  continually  ascends  to  higher  results.  But 
this  function  of  intelligence  seems  to  be  entirely  ignored  by 
Asiatic  mind  and  Asiatic  art. 

The  manufacture  of  Cashmere,  camels'  hair,  and  other 
shawls,  once  so  flourishing  in  Asia,  is  greatly  impaired,  and 
in  many  places  entirely  discontinued.  But  few  of  the  once 
famous  Cashmere  shawls  have  been  manufactured  since  the 
rise  of  the  fatal  competition  of  Lyons,  Paris,  Paisley, 
Vienna,  and  other  manufacturing  centers  of  Europe.  Cau- 
casian capital  and  skill,  aided  by  the  elaborate  contrivances 
of  machinery,  can  now  produce  at  much  lower  prices  fabrics 


[244] 

as  delicate  and  beautiful  as  the  famous  Cashmere  shawls, 
though,  doubtless,  not  so  durable. 

The  immediate  introduction  of  this  shawl-weaving  into 
the  United  States  is,  perhaps,  impracticable,  though  its  final 
success  here  is  but  a  question  of  time.  The  obstacles  to  be 
overcome  are  lack  of  skilled  labor,  of  machinery,  and  of 
an  active  home  demand  for  fabrics  of  goats'  fleece.* 

*  Since  the  above  articte  was  written,  ten  years  ago,  a  demand  has 
sprung  up,  and  will  continue  to  increase.  The  present  fashion  of  ladies' 
dresses  requires  a  description  of  so-called  clinging  fabrics,  for  the  manu- 
facture of  which  the  Angora  fleece  is  peculiarly  adapted,  and  we  are  in- 
formed that  a  number  of  factories  have  already  been  established  in  the 
eastern  States  for  that  purpose,  and  some  of  our  intelligent  farmers  are 
availing  themselves  of  the  opportunity  to  diversify  their  industries  by 
raising  these  goats,  as  will  be  seen  from  several  letters  from  them,  which 
we  publish  in  connection  with  this  subject. 


APPENDIX, 


APPENDIX. 


LETTERS  FROM  PROMINENT  SHEEP  RAISERS. 


FEOM  TOM  CEUTCHFIELD,  ESQ.,  HAMILTON  COUNTY. 

J.  B.  KIKLEBREW,  Commissioner  of  Agriculture,  etc. 

Dear  Sir — You  ask  me,  for  the  use  of  your  bureau,  ray  experience  in 
sheep  husbandry,  and  such  suggestions  as  I  may  see  proper  to  make.  I 
would  much  prefer  some  one  more  competent  and  of  greater  experience 
than  I,  had  been  called  upon. 

My  first  practical  experience  with  sheep  commenced  in  1864,  since 
when  and  up  to  the  present  time  I  have  given  it  more  than  ordinary  at- 
tention, having  found  it  not  only  a  great  pleasure  in  conjunction  with 
other  duties  of  the  farm,  but  also  one  of  greater  profit  in  proportion  to  the 
capit*  invested,  than  anything  else  pertaining  to  the  farm. 

I  had  been  accustomed  to  the  native  sheep  of  Tennessee,  had  never  seen 
any  of  the  improved  breeds,  and  well  remember  my  astonishment  when  I 
first  saw  the  massive  Cotswolds  at  Laurel  Hill,  the  beautiful  home  of 
James  P.  Johnson,  of  Williamson  county,  from  whom  I  made  my  first 
purchase  of  Cotswolds. 

In  1864  I  purchased  a  lot  of  native  ewes,  and  was  fortunate  in  getting 
the  use  of  a  superior  Spanish  Merino  ram,  bred  by  R.  Peters,  of  Atlanta, 
Georgia,  to  cross  upon  them,  which  cross  gave  great  improvement  in  car- 
cass, form  and  fleece,  covering  the  naked  places  of  the  natives,  and  making 
the  fleece  much  more  dense  and  the  fibre  finer  and  stronger. 

I  saved  the  ewe  lambs  of  this  cross,  and  bred  them  to  an  improved 
Kentucky  buck,  bred  by  Eobert  W.  Scott,  of  Frankfort,  Ky.,  which  in- 
creased the  size  of  carcass  and  gave  greater  length  and  yield  of  wool. 

The  ewe  lambs  of  his  get  were  bred  to  the  Cotswold  buck  bought  from 
James  P.  Johnson,  and  I  have  continued  to  breed  to  the  best  Cotswold 
buck  I  could  procure,  American  breed  and  imported,  never  using  one 
buck  longer  than  two  years,  and  never  breeding  in-and-in.  In  the  mean- 
time I  have  added  to  my  flock  American  bred  and  imported  Cotswold 
ewes  at  heavy  cost,  breeding  them  to  the  same  bucks. 


[248] 

The  imported  and  American  bred  Cotswolds  and  their  offspring  are  not 
superior  either  in  carcass  or  fleece  to  those  of  my  own  breeding.  I  clipped 
samples  of  wool  from  Prince  of  Wales,  an  imported  English  bred  buck, 
and  also  from  a  ewe  of  my  own  breeding  which,  through  several  genera- 
tions, could  be  traced  back  through  the  Merino  cross  to  the  native.  I  sent 
these  samples  to  my  wool  merchants  in  Boston,  Mass.,  with  history  of  the 
wool,  and  requested  their  opinion  of  the  wool  on  its  merits.  They  pro- 
nounced the  ewe's  wool  superior  to  the  buck's!  It  was  equally  as  good 
combing,  about  eighteen  inches  long,  was  of  finer  and  stronger  fibre,  soft 
to  the  touch,  attributable  to  the  shade  of  Merino  in  it. 

The  effects  of  the  cross  to  the  Spanish  Merino  in  fineness  and  softness  of 
fibre  and  density  of  fleece  and  strength  of  staple  remain  for  many  genera- 
tions. I  cull  my  ewes  annually  at  shearing  time,  marking  all  that  are 
deficient  in  form  or  fleece,  or  that  are  becoming  aged,  and  set  them  apart 
with  the  wethers  for  mutton,  which  are  sold  the  following  spring,  after 
taking  from  them  their  fleece,  they  commanding  a  better  price  than  ordi- 
nary sheep,  because  they  gross  less  and  are  better  mutton. 

I  sold  a  lot  last  spring  (fatted  principally  on  grass)  to  the  butchers  of 
Chattanooga,  that  averaged  166|  Ibs.  gross,  having  clipped  an  average  oi 
lOf ,  Ibs.  of  nice  combing  wool,  which  sold  at  37  o  cents  per  Ib.  The  price 
received  for  them  was  6  cents  per  Ib.  gross,  netting  me  $14  per  head,  while 
the  market  for  ordinary  mutton  was  4  cents.  They  grossed  less  than  one- 
third,  and  were  sold  for  15  cents  per  Ib.  net,  and,  like  Oliver  Twist,  "the 
cry  was  for  more."  (And  here,  by  way  of  parenthesis,  allow  me  to  say 
-that  all  improved  stock,  hogs,  cattle,  etc.,  will  give  like  results  over  the 
scrub.) 

I  never  breed  in-and-in,  its  effects  tell  more  rapidly  and  surely  upon 
sheep  than  upon  any  other  stock. 

The  buck  is  allowed  to  go  to  the  ewes  about  the  middle  of  August,  and 
is  taken  from  them  in  November  or  December.  The  buck  should  not  be 
allowed  to  run  with  the  ewes  after  they  are  impregnated  or  while  they  are 
lambing,  as  there  is  danger  of  miscarriage  by  his  injuring  them.  If  a 
ewe  miscarries  or  loses  a  lamb  after  mature  birth,  she  will  usually  let  the 
buck  serve  her  again  in  a  week  or  two  after  such  loss,  and  sometimes 
when  the  ewe  is  nursing  she  will  be  served  by  the  buck,  which  causes 
lambs  to  be  dropped  at  unseasonable  times,  keeping  the  ewe  in  poor  con- 
dition and  difficult  to  keep  through  the  winter,  with  a  delicate  lamb  and 
loss  of  lamb  from  her  the  next  spring. 

The  ewe  lambs  should  not  be  bred  until  a  year  old  past.  It  checks 
their  growth  and  weakens  their  constitution. 

In  Tennessee  we  have  a  wonderful  diversity  of  soil,  climate,  locality 
and  pasturage.  In  East  Tennessee  we  have  the  hills  and  mountains,  an 
almost  inexhaustible  summer  range,  with  locality  elevated  and  dry,  with 
never-failing  streams  of  pure  water,  also  the  productive  valleys,  river  and 
creek  bottoms,  with  their  rich  meadows.  In  Middle  Tennessee  we  have 


[249] 

the  blue-grass  region,  equal  to  Kentucky,  furnishing  good  grazing  almost 
the  year  round.  The  breed  of  sheep  that  would  be  suited  to  one  locality 
might  not  be  suited  to  another.  In  selecting  a  breed  for  any  locality  we 
should  take  into  consideration  feed,  climate  and  surrounding  circum- 
stances, with  market  facilities  and  demand  for  the  mutton  or  wool,  or 
both.  We  should  then  use  that  breed  which  will  give  the  greatest  net 
value  of  marketable  products. 

In  Middle  Tennessee,  especially  the  blue-grass  region,  the  large  im- 
ported English  breeds,  giving  heavy  carcass  and  great  yield  of  wool,  can 
be  more  successfully  and  profitably  bred  and  reared  than  in  any  other 
portion  of  the  State,  unless  in  special  localities  where  they  can  be  given 
rich  pasturage  similar  to  that  furnished  by  the  blue-grass  of  Middle  Ten- 
nessee. 

No  one  breed  of  sheep  combines  all  the  good  qualities,  hence  the  many 
crosses  that  have  been  made,  not  only  with  all  the  imported  English 
breeds,  but  also  at  home  with  our  own  natives.  I  believe  it  is  a  matter 
of  experience  with  sheep  breeders  that  the  most  profitable  sheep  are  those 
of  cross-breed  races. 

By  the  breeder  breeding  for  a  specific  purpose,  as  Bakewell,  of  the 
Dishly  farm,  did  in  producing  the  improved  Leicester;  as  Eobt.  W.  Scott, 
of  Frankfort,  Ky.,  did  in  producing  the  improved  Kentucky;  as  has  been 
done  in  breeding  to  produce  the  Oxfordshire,  Hampshire  and  Shropshire 
Downs — all,  even  the  Cotswolds,  have  been  refined  by  the  mixtures  of 
other  blood.  Originally  they  were  bred  only  on  the  headwaters  of  the 
rivers  Severn  and  Thames,  and  were  a  very  large,  coarse  sheep  They 
have  boen  extensively  crossed  with  the  Leicester  or  Bakewell,  diminishing 
their  size  and  fleece,  but  improving  their  carcass  and  rendering  it  earlier 
of  maturity,  giving  to  their  fleece  the  lustre  that  it  did  not  originally  pos- 
sess, and  at  the  same  time  detracting  from  its  density. 

The  improved  breeds  from  the  States  are  being  shipped  to  Colorado,. 
California,  New  Mexico,  etc.,  to  cross  upon  the  natives  there.  So  we  of 
Tennessee,  with  our  great  diversity  of  soil,  climate,  etc.,  by  judicious 
crosses  upon  our  natives,  can  furnish  a  counterpart,  at  little  cost,  for  every 
race  of  sheep  valuable  for  its  fleece  or  mutton,  if  we  give  our  time  and  at- 
tention to  such  as  may  be  suited  to  each  locality. 

Probably  nine-tenths  of  the  sheep  of  Tennessee  are  natives — scrubs — 
yielding  about  two  pounds  of  wool,  and  of  mutton,  gross,  about  sixty 
pounds.  These,  of  themselves,  are  of  but  very  little  benefit  to  the  ywner 
or  to  the  revenue  of  the  State;  but  as  a  basis  upon  which  to  build,  by 
using  improved  males,  they  can  be  made,  with  very  little  cost,  a  great 
source  of  revenue  to  the  owner  and  to  the  State. 

In  my  judgment,  by  using  the  native  ewes  of  fair  size,  good  shape  and 
robust  constitution  as  a  base,  and  crossing  upon  them  the  Spanish  Merino 
buck,  saving  the  ewe  lambs  of  such  cross  and  breeding  them  to  the  Cots- 
wold  buck,  we  can  produce  a  breed  of  sheep  healthier  and  better  suited 


[2501 

to  our  climate,  soil  and  pasturage  than  any  of  the  improved  breeds,  yield- 
ing as  much  mutton  in  carcass,  and  as  great  a  quantity  of  wool.  A  cross 
of  Merino  and  Cotswold  would  result  similarly,  but  would  not  utilize  the 
great  number  of  natives.  A  cross  direct  of  the  Cotswold  and  natives  is  a 
vast  improvement,  getting  rapidly  to  the  large  carcass  and  great  yield  of 
wool;  but  without  the  Merino  cross,  the  density  of  fleece,  fineness  and 
softness  of  fibre  imparted  by  it  cannot  be  attained. 

It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  those  breeding  either  of  full  bloods 
or  crosses  should  select  the  best  of  rams.  A  good  Merino  ram  bred  to  the 
native  ewe  adds  one  hundred  per  cent,  to  the  yield  of  wool,  and  greatly  to 
the  carcass  in  symmetry  of  form  and  fattening  qualities.  Nor  is  this  all : 
the  half-bloods  are  worth  double  their  dams,  and  can  be  used  as  a  basis 
of  still  higher  and  greater  improvement  by  the  use  of  the  large  carcass, 
long-wooled  rams,  which  cross  will  greatly  increase  the  weight  of  carcass 
and  double  the  yield  of  wool.  When  the  number  of  lambs  produced  by 
one  ram  is  taken  into  consideration,  and  when  it  is  seen  over  what  an  im- 
mense extent,  even  in  his  own  direct  offspring,  his  good  or  bad  qualities 
are  to  be  perpetuated,  how  obvious,  then,  that  none  but  the  best  bucks 
should  be  selected!  How  important,  then,  that  every  scrub  ram  in  the 
State  should  be  exterminated,  and  his  place  supplied  with  one  of  the  im- 
proved breeds. 

In  a  few  years  the  natives  would  become  extinct,  and  in  their  stead  v/e 
should  have  a  breed  of  sheep  yielding  from  twice  to  four  times  the  quan- 
tity of  wool,  and  of  a  superior  quality,  aside  from  the  great  increase  of 
mutton  in  carcass. 

Some  may  say  that  the  expense  of  procuring  an  improved  buck  is 
greater  than  they  can  bear.  If  they  are  able  to  own  a  flock  of  sheep,  they 
are  able  to  own  an  improved  buck.  It  would  be  money  saved  to  give  half 
an  ordinary  flock  of  natives  for  an  improved  buck.  The  increase  of  wool 
alone  (not  taking  into  consideration  the  increased  value  of  the  lambs  of 
the  first  year's  get  by  an  improved  buck)  would  pay  for  him,  and  every 
<;lip  after  that,  with  the  increase  of  lambs,  is  that  much  gained. 

The  Commissioner  of  Agriculture  for  the  State  of  Georgia  reports  the 
annual  profit  on  capital  invested  in  sheep  at  sixty-three  per  cent.  Ten- 
nessee ought  to  do  equally  as  well — in  fact,  better,  for  in  Georgia  the  im- 
proved breeds  will  not  succeed  as  well  as  in  Tennessee. 

DISEASES. 

• 

With  proper  change  of  pasturage  and  keeping  the  sheep  away  from 
low,  moist  ground,  they  are  comparatively  free  from  disease. 

If  sheep  are  kept  up,  it  is  better  to  have  their  pastures  divided  into  two 
or  more  lots,  and  let  them  occupy  one  portion  two  or  three  weeks,  and 
then  change  to  another.  The  change  is  of  great  importance  to  secure 
health  and  necessary  variety  of  food.  There  are  certain  pungent  plants 
and  weeds  which  sheep  are  very  fond  of,  and  which  seem  necessary  to 


[251]      „ 

their  health,  for  which  they  will  leave  the  best  of  grasses  to  feed  upon, 
which  become  exhausted  in  permanent  pastures. 

Salt  and  shade  should  be  constantly  accessible.  During  the  summer 
months  they  feed  early  in  the  morning  and  late*  in  the  evening,  and, 
during  moonlight  nights,  late  into  the  night.  They  resort  to  the  same 
sheltering  places  of  shade  and  rest  day  after  day,  which  become  very  foul 
and  injurious,  unless  kept  covered  with  litter  or  cleared  off. 

In  the  months  of  June  and  July  they  are  very  much  annoyed  by  the 
gad-fly  depositing  its  egg  in  the  nostril  of  the  sheep.  The  discharge  from 
the  nostril  caused  by  the  larva  of  the  fly  is  frequently  called  "the  rots." 
Though  very  annoying  to  the  sheep,  it  is  not  a  disease.  The  grub  is 
found  in  the  heads  of  most  all  sheep.  A  similar  grub  is  found  in  the 
head  of  the  deer,  deposited  by  the  buck-fly.  By  a  copious  and  oft-repeated 
application  of  tar  to  the  nose  of  the  sheep,  during  the  months  of  June  and 
July,  the  fly  is  less  troublesome,  being  repelled  by  the  tar. 

I  have  lost  a  few  sheep  by  "staggers,"  "turnsick,"  etc.,  properly  hydatid 
on  the  brain,  by  allowing  the  sheep  to  range  upon  low,  wet,  spongy  lands. 
By  removing  them  at  once  the  disease  ceased. 

By  changing  from  dry  food  or  short  pasturage  to  rich,  succulent  pas- 
turage, and  especially  to  rank  clover  pasture,  I  have  had  my  sheep  to 
scour  badly.  I  have  never  failed  to  control  it  by  removing  to  a  shorter 
pasture,  or  feed  a  few  days  upon  dry  food,  hay,  oats,  etc. 

They  should  not  be  sheared  in  spring  until  all  danger  of  cold  has 
passed.  After  the  loss  of  their  fleece  they  are  very  liable  to  take  cold, 
which  results  in  a  cough  and  discharge  from  the  nostril,  and  frequently 
in  the  loss  of  the  sheep. 

They  should  never  be  sheared  in  the  fall.  They  need  their  warm  coat, 
as  well  as  man,  to  protect  them  through  the  winter.  They  should  have 
open  shelters,  accessible  at  all  times,  to  protect  them  from  severe  storm?. 

I  have  never  seen  a  case  of  foot-rot,  which  is  a  disease  of  the  foot.  I 
have  frequently  had  my  sheep  to  get  quite  lame  in  their  fore  feet,  but 
upon  examination  found  that  the  lameness  was  caused  by  breaking  of  the 
hoof,  and  not  unfrequently  a  small  chip  or  stick  would  get  into  the  cleft 
of  the  hoof,  which,  by  constant  irritation,  would  make  a  sore  and  create 
lameness.  Sometimes,  after  rains,  the  mud  which  would  be  forced  into 
the  cleft  while  soft,  would  harden,  and  by  chafing,  produce  lameness;  by 
simply  removing  the  cause,  the  lameness  would  soon  be  gone.  If,  at 
shearing  time,  a  little  pains  be  taken  to  trim  the  foot,  much  of  this  would 
be  avoided. 

When  the  bucks  and  ewes  are  placed  together  for  the  purpose  of  breed- 
ing, the  tail  and  the  buttocks  of  the  ewes,  and  the  wool  from  the  belly  of  the 
buck,  should  be  cleanly  trimmed.  A  neglect  of  this,  especially  with  the 
long-wooled  breeds,  frequently  results  in  loss  of  impregnation  of  the  ewe, 
and  a  weakening  of  the  buck  by  a  discharge  in  the  clotted  wool  of  the 
belly  of  the  buck  or  buttock  of  the  ewe. 


[252] 

The  lambs  should  be  docked  (tails  cut  off)  when  a  few  days  old.  It 
improves  the  appearance  of  the  sheep,  and  prevents  much  trouble  when 
purging  takes  place,  which,  if  allowed  to  remain,  in  warm  weather  will 
be  blown  by  the  fly  and  filled  with  maggots,  which,  if  neglected,  will 
spread  over  the  body  of  the  sheep,  resulting  in  death. 

I  mark  my  lambs  when  a  year  old,  at  shearing  time,  using  Dana's 
patent  label,  by  the  numbers.  I  can  keep  their  ages  and  their  breeding 
correctly. 

TICKS. 

If  annoyed  with  sheep  ticks  (about  two  weeks  after  shearing,  the  ticks 
will  all  leave  the  older  sheep  and  go  to  the  lambs),  by  dipping  the  lamb 
in  a  solution  prepared  of  Buchan's  carbolic  sheep  dip,  you  destroy  not 
only  the  tick  but  the  eggs. 

BUTCHERING. 

Many  persons  do  not  eat  mutton  because  of  the  peculiar  sheepy  odor 
and  taste  sometimes  found  in  the  mutton,  and  attribute  it  as  being  due  to 
the  contact  of  the  wool  with  the  meat.  This  is  a  mistake.  The  true 
cause  of  this  taste  or  odor  lies  in  the  delay  of  disemboweling  the  carcaps. 
It'  the  intestines  are  allowed  to  remain  until  the  pelt  is  removed,  the 
gasses  emitted  from  them  are  disseminated  through  the  flesh,  which  causes 
the  objectionable  taste  or  odor.  Disembowel  the  carcass  at  once,  before  the 
pelt  is  removed.  Or,  as  soon  as  the  throat  of  the  animal  is  cut,  having  it 
tied  up  by  the  hind  feet  with  its  head  hanging  down,  cut  a  hole  between 
the  hind  quarters,  and  fill  the  body  at  once  with  cold  ivater;  then  take  the  pelt- 
off  at  your  leisure,  and  remove  the  entrails,  and  you  will  have  none  of 
that  disagreeable  odor. 

HOW  TO  MAKE  WOOL  UNIFORM. 

One  thing  of  which  I  thought,  but  it  escaped  me  at  the  proper  time,  is 
this:  The  sheep  should  be  kept  in  uniform  condition  to  produce  good 
wool.  If  the  condition  of  the  sheep  is  kept  uniform,  the  wool  will  be  uni- 
form. If  the  sheep  are  allowed  to  grow  poor  and  then  suddenly  fatted, 
or  vice  versa,  the  staple  of  the  wool  will  change  in  the  same  way.  With 
combing  wool,  it  injures  it  materially,  as  where  the  weak  places  are  it 
gives  way,  destroying  its  value  as  combing  wool.  Fat  sheep  make  fat 
wool.  Wool  from  sheep  kept  in  good,  uniform  condition,  will  be  uniform 
throughout,  and  the  yield  from  the  same  sheep  greater,  longer,  stronger 
and  heavier,  having  more  yolk. 

In  writing,  I  endeavored  to  give  you  my  idea,  and  the  reasons  for  it,  of 
the  best  sheep  for  Tennessee,  as  a  whole,  and  at  the  same  time  utilize  the 
natives,  which  are  now  comparatively  worthless.  There  are  breeders  of 
the  Downs — Southdowns,  Shropshiredowns,  Oxfordshiredowns,  etc.,  etc. 
For  a  medium  wool  and  high-flavored  mutton,  these  sheep  are  exceed- 


[253] 

ingly  valuable,  but  for  wool  and  mutton  combined,  where  carcass  also  is 
desired,  the  cross  1  have  mentioned  I  think  is  decidedly  preferable. 

Sheep  sometimes  shed  their  wool,  and  I  have  heard  old  farmers  attrib. 
ute  it  to  feeding  them  corn.  Such  is  not  the  true  cause.  Any  sudden 
change — if  suddenly  fatted  from  poverty,  or  allowed  to  become  rapidly 
thin  from  good  flesh,  they  will  shed  their  wool.  If  from  any  cause  they 
are  sick,  causing  them  to  have  fever,  as  from  garget,  swelled  udder,  caused 
by  loss  of  lamb,  they  will  shed  their  wool. 

I  said  nothing  about  feeding  or  grazing;  every  one  will  control  that  to 
suit  himself;  nor  as  to  the  dogs,  which  is  the  greatest  obstacle  of  all  to 
successful  and  profitable  sheep-raising.  The  more  we  can  get  interested 
in  sheep,  the  fewer  friends  the  dog  will  have. 

The  following  essay,  also  written  by  Mr.  Crutchfield, 
though  going  over  some  of  the  same  ground,  is  well  worthy 
a  place  in  this  treatise : 

Gentlemen  of  the  Stock-breeders'  Association  : 

Your  president,  Mark  S.  Cockrill,  has  done  me  the  honor  to  impose 
upon  me  the  duty  of  preparing  an  essay  on  Sheep  Husbandry  in  Tennes- 
see, to  be  read  before  your  convention.  I  would  have  much  preferred 
that  the  duty  should  have  fallen  upon  some  one  more  competent  to  do 
justice  to  the  subject,  and  of  greater  experience  than  I  have. 

As  farmers  and  breeders  of  live  stock,  we  owe  to  each  other  our  expe- 
rience in  our  various  vocations  that  we  may  each  reap  the  benefit  of  the 
other's  experience.  This  interchange  of  opinion  can  better  be  attained 
through  organized  associations  of  farmers  and  breeders,  like  that  of  the 
Stock  Breeders'  Association,  and  through  the  agricultural  press,  to  which 
we  all  ought  to  be,  if  we  are  not,  subscribers  and  contributors. 

Sheep  husbandry  had  its  origin  co-existent  with  man,  and  has  co-ex- 
tended with  him  through  all  the  various  ages  to  the  present  time.  It  is 
not,  however,  with  its  ancient  history  that  we  have  now  to  do,  only  in  so 
far  as  it  assists  us  in  tracing  back  the  breeding  of  the  many  species  or  va- 
rieties of  the  present  generation,  and  accepting  those  best  suited  to  our 
purposes. 

Strictly  speaking,  there  is  no  sheep  indigenous  to  our  continent,  unless 
it  be  the  Rocky  Mountain  sheep,  and  that,  I  believe,  partakes  more  of  the 
nature  of  the  goat  than  the  sheep.  The  sheep  most  numerous  with  us, 
called  the  Native,  or  the  Scrub,  are  of  foreign  origin,  brought  over  to  this 
country  by  our  ancestors  from  different  portions  of  Europe,  each  bringing 
the  favorite  breed  of  their  immediate  district,  and  from  them  sprang  the 
race  of  sheep  now  known  as  Natives. 

From  no  care  at  all  in  breeding,  except  to  let  them  breed  indiscrimi- 
nately among  themselves,  without  any  regard  to  improvement,  their  type, 


[254] 

as  a  breed,  is  as  well  fixed  as  any  of  the  carefully  bred  European  breeds; 
they  can  be  selected  from  any  other  breed  by  the  most  casual  observer. 
This  is  the  breed  of  which  probably  nine-tenths  of  the  sheep  of  the  State 
are  composed,  and  this  being  the  fact,  it  must  be  the  basis  upon  which  all 
improvement  must  be  made,  so  as  to  utilize  what  we  now  have.  Now, 
how  shall  this  improvement  be  made?  Simply  by  using  upon  our  native 
ewes  rams  of  the  long-established  and  improved  breeds.  We  have  of 
these,  bred  by  our  own  breeders,  to  select  from,  the  Merino,  the  South- 
down, Shropshiredown,  Oxfordshiredown,  Leicester,  Cotswold,  etc. 

Each  breeder  must  determine  for  himself  what  improvement  he  desires, 
or  for  what  purpose  he  shall  breed — whether  for  wool  alone,  and  if  for 
wool  alone,  whether  fine,  medium  or  combing  wool ;  or  whether  for  wool 
and  mutton  combined,  or  for  mutton  alone,  or  for  whatever  purpose  he 
may  desire,  and  select  the  breeding  ram  accordingly,  and  breed  continu- 
ously for  the  purpose  desired.  I  am  of  opinion  that  the  best  general-purpose 
sheep  we  have  are  from  careful  selections  and  judicious  crosses.  Witness 
the  improved  Leicester,  Cotswolds,  Shropshiredowns  and  Oxfordshire- 
downs.  And  even  with  the  Merino  and  Southdown  there  are  many  shades 
brought  about  by  the  peculiar  fancy  of  the  different  breeders,  breeding 
for  different  and  specific  purposes.  It  is  truo  these  breeds  have  become 
perfect  breeds  within  themselves,  and  3Tet  none  of  them  combining  all 
that  may  be  desired. 

Beyond  doubt,  the  Merino  is  the  most  ancient  race  of  sheep  now  exist 
ing  with  us,  and  is  probably  more  diffused  throughout  the  world  than  any 
other  breed  of  sheep,  having  been  used  advantageously  in  crossing  upon 
breeds  of  localities,  soils  and  climates  different  to  that  from  whence  it 
originally  came,  occupying  prominent  position  over  both  continents  and 
on  the  isles  of  the  seas.  Next  probably  in  the  purity  of  their  breeding 
is  the  Southdown,  which  has  existed  for  centuries  in  England,  and  their 
kindred  races,  the  Shropshire  and  Oxfordshire  Downs — crosses  of  the 
Down  family  with  the  larger,  long-wooled  breeds,  which  are  of  more 
recent  origin.  Then  we  have  the  long-wooled  breeds,  Leicester,  Lincoln 
and  Cotswold.  Mr.  Spooner,  in  speaking  of  the  Cotswold,  says,  "  they 
were  formerly  bred  only  on  the  hills,  and  fatted  in  the  valleys  of  the 
rivers  Severn  and  Thames,  but  afterwards  in  the  Cotswold  Hills  of  Eng- 
land," from  which  I  presume  they  take  their  name.  The  Cotswold  have 
been  greatly  refined  and  improved  from  their  original  state  by  judicious 
crosses  with  other  long-wooled  breeds,  principally  the  Leicester.  This 
breed  of  sheep,  the  Leicester  or  Bakewell,  some  writers  say,  were  originally 
of  the  Lincolnshire  breed,  noted,  for  the  quantity  of  their  wool  and 
coarseness  of  their  mutton.  Mr.  Bakewell,  of  the  Dishly  farm,  England, 
by  judicious  selections  and  a  steady  adherence  to  certain  principles  of 
breeding — breeding  for  a  specific  purpose — perfected  what  is  known  as  the 
improved  or  new  Leicester,  which  ranks  very  high  among  the  long-wooled 
breeds  of  England  and  America.  Robert  W.  Scott,  near  Franhfort,  Ken- 


[255] 

tucky,  originated  a  breed  of  sheep,  known  as  the  Improved  Kentucky, 
very  much  as  Mr.  Bakewell  did  the  Leicester,  and  produced  a  sheep  very 
similar  to  the  Leicester. 

I  am  of  opinion,  and  that  opinion  is  predicated  upon  a  practical  expe- 
rience of  over  twelve  years,  that  the  breeder  can  breed  in  sheep  just  what 
he  desires.  In  Tennessee,  with  our  great  diversity  of  soil,  climate,  pas- 
turage, etc.,  by  judicious  crosses  upon  our  natives,  we  can  furnish  a  coun- 
terpart for  every  race  of  sheep  valuable  for  its  fleece  or  mutton,  if  we 
give  our  time  and  attention  to  the  breeding  of  such  as  may  be  desired  or 
suited  to  each  locality  and  for  each  purpose.  Some  may  prefer  medium, 
wool  and  carcass,  with  superior  mutton  of  high  flavor — these  would  prob- 
ably select,  to  improve  their  flocks,  some  of  the  Down  family.  I  believe 
this  race  of  sheep  is  considered  superior  in  the  quality  of  their  mutton  to 
all  other  breeds.  As  the  partridge,  quail,  etc.,  are  to  birds,  and  the  trout, 
salmon,  etc.,  are  to  fish,  so  is  the  Down  to  mutton. 

Others  who  prefer  a  large  carcass,  quantity  without  especial  regard  to 
quality,  and  a  great  yield  of  wool,  will  select  some  of  the  long-wooled 
breeds.  Others,  who  prefer  finer  wools  and  a  medium  carcass,  will  select 
some  of  the  Merino  breeds. 

As  a  general  thing  in  Tennessee,  it  is  not  so  much  the  quality  as  the 
quantity  of  of  carcass  desired ;  very  little  difference,  except  in  especial 
localities,' is  made  in  the  quality  of  mutton,  just  so  that  it  is  in  good  con- 
dition, and  the  larger  the  carcass  the  greater  the  profit. 

Many  breeders,  particularly  in  Middle  Tennessee,  rely  for  a  portion  of 
their  profits  upon  early  lambs  for  Northern  markets — the  lambing  season 
(from  November  to  February),  on  account  of  our  mild  climate,  being 
months  in  advance  of  our  less  favored  Northern  borders,  enables  our 
breeders  to  get  the  cream  of  the  market. 

This  branch  of  sheep  husbandry  has  been  very  remunerative  to  those 
breeders  who  have  adopted  it,  breeding  the  comparatively  inexpensive 
native  ewes  to  come  of  the  imported  English  breeds.  In  my  portion  of  the 
State — East  Tennessee — with  the  line  of  railroads  that  we  now  have,  by 
which  we  can  reach  the  markets  of  Washington,  Baltimore,  Philadelphia 
and  New  York,  and  with  the  road  now  in  course  of  construction,  and  soon 
to  be  completed — the  Cincinnati  Southern  Railway — connecting  Cincin- 
nati with  Chattanooga  by  one  line  af  road,  certainly  gives  to  that  portion 
of  the  State,  for  this  branch  of  the  industry,  market  facilities  unequalled. 
A  car-load  of  lambs  could  be  transported  from  Chattanooga  to  Cincinnati 
in  twenty  hours,  and  from  there  could  be  distributed  to  the  markets  offer- 
ing the  greatest  inducements.  This  line  of  railway  is,  for  ninety  miles, 
at  the  base  of  Walden's  Ridge,  thence  crosses  the  Cumberland  Mountain, 
through  Tennessee,  into  Kentucky,  bringing  at  once  into  easy  access  to 
markets  the  great  table-lands  of  the  Cumberland  Mountain  and  Walden's 
Ridge,  (which  is  a  spur  of  the  Cumberland),  where,  in  time,  will  be  the 
finest  sheep-walks  in  the  world.  This  road  will  also  open  up  to  the  mar- 


[256] 

kets  of  the  world  the  vast  deposit  of  minerals  along  its  line  so  long  lying 
dormant,  new  mines  will  be  opened  and  worked,  new  manufacturing  es- 
tablishments built,  giving  employment  to  thousands,  and  furnishing  a 
home  market  for  the  products  of  the  country. 

But  to  return  :  Whatever  course  may  be  determined  on  by  the.  breeden 
the  utmost  importance  should  attach  to  the  selection  of  the  ram  to  be 
bred  to,  for  in  the  purity  of  his  blood  is  represented  the  improved  type 
that  is  desired.  The  purer  the  blood  of  the  ram  the  more  strongly  will 
his  characteristics  overcome  the  subsequent  mixture  of  breeds,  and  im- 
print themselves  upon  his  offspring.  Then  in  selecting  the  ewes  to  breed 
from,  avoid  as  much  as  possible  any  defects  you  wish  to  obliterate,  select- 
ing ewes  of  the  best  form,  size  and  constitution.  It  has  been  aptly  illus- 
trated by  a  writer  on  this  subject,  as  "in  giving  motion  to  a  projectile  (for 
instance,  a  cannon  ball),  the  velocity  obtained  is  not  merely  in  propor- 
tion to  the  propelling  force,  but  also  to  the  resistance  of  the  medium 
through  which  the  body  is  driven."  Now  in  this  instance  the  ram  would, 
represent  the  propelling  force,  the  ewe  that  of  resistance,  since  if  there 
were  no  obstacle  on^her  side  the  complete  effect  would  be  realized  by  the 
faithful  reproduction  of  the  improving  type.  Clearly,  therefore,  the  in- 
fluence of  the  ram  upon  the  offspring  will  be  the  stronger,  the  purer,  and 
more  ancient  in  the  first  place  that  his  own  race  may  be,  and  in  the  next 
place  the  less  resistance  is  offered  by  the  ewe  through  the  possession  of 
those  qualities  of  purity  and  long  descent  which  are  so  valuable  in  the 
sire.  But  after  all  care  and  diligence  may  have  been  used  in  the  proper 
selection  of  rams  and  ewes  to  improve  the  breed,  ill  results,  and  probably 
failure,  will  follow,  unless  a  like  improvement  in  keep  and  management 
accompanies.  The  great  improvement  of  the  English  breeds,  to  which  we 
must  resort  for  the  improvement  of  our  breeds,  is  greatly  due  to  their  ex- 
cellent management  and  keep.  Proper  attention  to  the  selection  of  rams 
and  ewes,  and  an  annual  culling  of  the  flock,  which  is  best  done  at  shear- 
ing time,  when  any  deficiency  may  be  detected,  and  the  defective  ewe 
marked  for  the  mutton  pen,  culling  out  and  disposing  of  the  less  perfect 
ewes,  and  keeping'only  what  can  be  well  cared  for,  properly  sheltered  if 
needed,  and  provided  with  good  pasturage  or  feed,  and  good  management 
have  given  to  others  their  improved  breeds,  and  will  give  to  us  ours. 

Tennessee,  by  the  census  of  1870,  had  about  800,000  sheep,  producing 
about  two  pounds  of  wool  per  head,  or  1,600,000  pounds.  If  these  sheep 
were  half-breeds  of  any  of  the  improved  breeds,  the  yield  of  wool  would 
be  at  least  double,  or  four  pounds  per  head,  or  an  increase  of  1,600,000 
pounds,  which,  at  20  cents  per  pound,  would  gain  to  the  producer  $320,- 
000,  and  in  a  short  time,  by  proper  breeding,  as  indicated,  could  be  in- 
creased to  an  average  of  six  pounds  per  head,  or  an  increase  of  3,200,000 
pounds,  which  at  20  cents,  would  gain  $640,000. 

Probably  one-half  of  these  sheep  are  sold  or  consumed  annually  for 
mutton,  estimating  them  to  average  in  weight  60  pounds,  and  to  sell  at  2 


[257] 

cents  per  pound,  would  bring  $480,000.  Now  the  use  of  the  improved 
rams  would  increase  the  carcass  fifty  per  cent.,  or  to  90  pounds  each,  and 
the  value  of  the  mutton  fifty  per  cent.,  or  at  3  cents  per  pound,  giving  a 
gross  income  of  $1,080,000,  or  a  gain  in  mutton  alone  of  $600,000 — thus 
you  would  have  an  increase  to  the  revenue  of  the  farmers  and  breeders  of 
sheep  from  wool  and  mutton  alone,  about  one  and  one-fourth  million  of 
dollars,  and  that  without  adding  one  sheep  to  the  flocks  of  the  State — 
enough  to  pay  the  current  expenses  of  the  State  and  the  interest  on  her 
bonded  debt  at  the  scale. 

In  making  these  estimates  I  have  placed  them  far  below  the  actual 
weights  and  sales  of  imported  mutton  sheep.  My  own  mutton  sheep,  the 
past  season,  averaged  166f  pounds,  (nearly  double  the  estimated  weight). 
After  clipping  lOf  each  of  wool,  which  sold  for  37*>  cents,  nearly  double 
the  estimate  on  wool,  and  the  mutton  sold  for  6  cents  per  pound,  just 
double  the  estimated  price. 

Increase  the  number  of  sheep  improved,  to  the  capacity  of  the  State, 
and  give  to  the  sheep  raiser  proper  protection  by  law,  and  the  beneficial 
results  would  be  almost  incalculable.  In  one  sense  of  the  word,  sheep 
husbandry  may  be  classed  among  the  smaller  industries  of  the  State,  be- 
cause it  is  so  economical  in  all  its  bearings,  and  so  little  capital  is  required 
to  engage  in  it,  even  on  an  extensive  scale.  Yet  in,  the  aggregate  it  is,  or 
ought  to  be,  one  of  the  greatest  industries  of  the  State.  The  small  amount 
of  money  that  can  be  put  into  sheep  husbandry  by  any  one  persom,  suffi- 
cient to  stock  their  farms,  is  one  of  the  principal  objections  urged  against 
it  by  men  of  capital — while  they  admit  that  there  is  no  live  stock,  which 
the  fanner  handles,  which  pays  a  better  dividend,  in  proportion  to  the 
capital  invested,  than  sheep,  yet  the  income,  in  the  aggregate,  is  too  small. 
Herein  is  where  the  profit  of  sheep  husbandry  will  be  to  the  masses  of  the 
farmers  of  the  State.  With  very  little  outlay  of  money  each  farmer  can 
add  to  his  live  stock  as  many  sheep  as  he  may  desire,  or  can  properly 
handle  in  conjunction  with  the  other  duties  of  his  farm,  "  here  a  little 
and  there  a  little"  will  the  profits  accrue,  each  sharing  his  portion,  and 
the  industry  will  be  so  greatly  diversified  there  will  be  the  greater  assur- 
ance of  protection. 

Our  Supreme  Court,  although  some  of  our  Judges  held  to  a  contrary 
opinion,  decided  against  the  constitutionality  of  the  dog-law,  which  was 
one  of  the  best  laws  ever  enacted  by  the  Legislature,  and  although  it  has 
been  repealed,  and  it  was  in  force  but  a  very  short  time,  its  good  effects  in 
ridding  the  State  of  many  worthless  dogs,  and  the"  saving  of  sheep  was 
great,  and  is  still  manifest,  without  saying  any  thing  about  two  hundred 
thousand  dollars  or  more  that  was  paid  into  the  State  Treasury  from  this 
canine  luxurv. 

The  farmers  of  the  State  should  not  rest  until  they  get  protection  by 
law  for  this  industry.  Within  my  knowledge  parties  from  the  Northern 
States,  who  want  to  come  to  Tennessee  and  engage  in  sheep  husbandry  on 

17 


[258] 

a  large  scale,  are  deterred  from  doing  so  alone  from  fear  of  the  dogs. 
Some  protective  laws  can  be  enacted  that  will  be  constitutional.  As  the 
law  now  is,  any  one  is  liable  to  the  owner  for  killing  any  straggling  dog. 
A  law  giving  the  right  to  kill,  without  liability,  any  trespassing  dog, 
would  be  a  good  step  in  the  right  direction,  and  assist  materially  in  the 
protection  of  sheep 

As  will  be  seen  by  reference  to  the  breeders'  directory  of  our  agricultu- 
ral papers,  we  have  breeders  in  Tennessee  of  all  the  improved  stock — 
horses,  cattle,  sheep,  hogs,  etc.  If  you  want  either  a  race  horse,  trotting 
horse  or  saddle  horse,  a  lordly  Durham  to  improve  your  beef  cattle,  or  a 
little  Jersey,  should  the  madam  have  a  fancy  to  excel  in  golden  butter, 
or  the  beautiful  Devon,  which,  for  all  purposes,  milk,  butter  and  beef,  is 
hard  to  excel,  or  any  of  the  improved  stock,  you  have  only  to  refer,  as  in- 
dicated, to  know  where  to  get  them.  Our  breeders  have  been  at  great 
expense  in  importing,  rearing  and  acclimating  improved  stock,  and  it  is 
to  the  pecuniary  interest  of  the  farmers  of  the  State  to  sustain  them,  and 
save  to  themselves  the  heavy  tax  incident  to  transporting  live  stock  singly 
from  a  distance,  and  the  risk  in  acclimating  them  afterwards. 

The  effect  of  climate  is  probably  greater  upon  the  improved  sheep  than 
upon  any  other  of  the  imported,  improved  stock.  It  is,  therefore,  better 
to  purchase  rams  desired  to  improve  our  flocks  from  those  raised  in  and 
inured  to  our  climate.  With  me  the  only  trouble  with  the  imported  sheep 
has  been  to  pass  them  safely  through  the  first  summer,  while  those  of  my 
own  raising  have  been  as  healthy  and  hearty  as  the  native  sheep. 

But,  gentlemen,  I  have  already  trespassed  too  far.  Your  President,  in  his 
letter  addressed  to  me  did  me  the  honor  to  say  that  he  knew  "  I  had  made 
money  out  of  sheep,"  and  requested  that  I  "  tell  them  how  to  do  the  same 
thing."  I  presume  he  did  not  mean  this  intelligent  body.  That  would 
be  like  "  carrying  coals  to  Newcastle,"  as  I  am  but  a  novice  in  sheep  cul- 
ture, compared  with  some  whom  I  address,  but  to  the  general  farmer  who 
has  given  it  but  a  passing  notice,  what  I  have  said,  or  may  say,  may  be  of 
some  advantage.  I  do  not  know  that  I  can  tell  them  how  to  make  money 
out  of  it,  but  I  can  tell  them  how  I  have  done  so. 

Without  any  knowledge  (or  very  little)  of  the  industry,  except  what  I 
could  gain  by  reading  the  authorities  on  sheep,  and  the  experience  of 
others,  as  expressed  through  the  agricultural  press,  I  began  sheep  hus- 
bandry in  1864,  by  the  purchase  of  twenty  native  ewes,  for  which  1  paid 
$100 — war  prices — the  same  could  be  bought  now  for  $25.  I  bred  these 
ewes  to  a  Spanish  Merino  ram.  Why  ?  Because  the  Merino  was  a  native 
of  a  climate  similar  to  that  of  Tennessee — was  acclimated — was  of  a  long 
established  breed — possessing  a  dense  coat  of  fine,  soft  wool ;  all  of  which 
I  wished  to  perpetuate  in  my  cross,  and  cover  the  naked  places  of  my  na- 
tives. In  this  I  succeeded,  and  got  a  sheep  yielding  from  four  to  six 
pounds  of  fine,  soft  wool,  with  carcass  considerably  increased,  and  a  greater 
aptitude  to  take  on  flesh.  I  then  desired  a  larger  carcass,  with  the  staple 


[259] 

t)f  my  wool  longer,  and  the  yield  greater,  combing  wool  bearing  the  beet 
price;  hence  I  bred  my  half-breed  Merino  ewes  to  a  long-wooled  ram,  and 
succeeded  in  getting  what  I  desired,  and  still  retaining  the  fineness  of  the 
fibre  and  softness  to  the  touch,  so  characteristic  of  the  Merino — as  also  the 
density  of  fleece.  I  have  continued  to  the  present  time  to  breed  to  none 
but  improved  Cotswolds,  adding  to  my  flock  at  intervals,  Kentucky-raised 
and  imported  Cotswold  ewes  and  rams,  and  breeding  the  imported  ewes  to 
the  same  rams.  Neither  the  imported  ewes  nor  their  offspring  (and  for 
the  ewes  I  paid  what  was  considered  fancy  prices)  are  superior  to  those  of 
my  own  raising,  but,  in  fact,  those  of  my  own  raising  are  superior  in 
health,  carcass  and  yield  of  wool,  to  the  imported — all  receiving  the  same 
care  and  attention,  which  I  know  was  not  so  good  as  that  received  by  the 
imported  ewes  before  I  purchased  them,  as  they  doubtless  had  been  pam- 
pered and  handled  with  great  care.  The  less  kind  treatment  they  re- 
ceived in  taking  their  chances  with  my  flock,  and  not  being  acclimated, 
had  its  effect  upon  them. 

Annually,  at  shearing  time,  I  cull  my  flock,  and  take  out  all  ewes  and 
lambs  that  are  less  perfect  in  form  and  fleece,  or  in  any  respect  inferior, 
and  place  them  with  the  mutton  sheep,  keeping  to  breed  from  none  bat 
the  best. 

I  give  my  flock  good  attention.  They  have  access  to  an  open  shed,  and 
salt  all  the  time.  I  change  their  grazing  ground  often,  and  endeavor  to 
keep  them  in  uniform  condition,  as  that  makes  uniform  wool.  Any  sudden 
change  from  a  fat  to  a  poor  condition,  and  vice  versa,  strengthens  or  dimin- 
ishes the  fibre  of  the  wool,  which  detracts  greatly  from  the  value  of  the 
wool,  frequently  rendering  the  long  wools  valueless  as  combing  wool.  If 
the  sheep  becomes  poor  when  the  fleece  is  about  half  grown,  and  then 
fatted,  the  wool  inevitably  tells  it,  as  at  that  point  where  the  poverty  of 
the  sheep  was  shown,  so  will  it  be  shown  in  the  wool  being  much  weaker 
than  the  other  portions  of  the  fibre  grown  while  the  sheep  was  in  good  con- 
dition ;  this  same  cause,  as  also  any  cause  from  which  they  have  had  any 
fever,  will  cause  them  to  shed  their  wool.  I  have  heard  it  said  that  the 
feeding  of  corn  to  sheep  made  them  shed  their  wool.  No  doubt  it  is  true, 
as  the  corn  brought  them  rapidly  from  poverty  to  flesh,  the  sudden  change 
causing  the  shedding  of  wool,  which,  rightfully,  is  attributed  to  the  corn. 
I  never  breed  in-and-in;  never  use  any  but  mature  rams.  It  is  false 
economy  to  breed  to  a  lamb,  because  he  can  be  bought  for  a  few  dollars 
less,  and  it  is  a  positive  injury  to  the  lamb.  I  never  allow  the  ewe  lambs 
to  be  served  by  the  ram  until  the  fall  previous  to  two  years.  I  permit  the 
ram  to  run  with  the  ewes  from  August  to  November,  when  he  is  takrn 
irom  the  ewes  and  lotted  to  himself,  otherwise  lambs  would  be  coming  at 
inopportune  times.  A  ewe  that  loses  her  lamb  in  the  spring  is  very  apt 
to  be  served  by  the  buck  if  he  has  access  to  her,  within  a  short  time  af t«  r 
such  loss,  which  would  cause  her  to  drop  a  lamb  in  the  fall,  making  it 
difficult  to  carry  her  and  the  lamb  through  the  winter,  with  loss  of  lamb 


[260] 

from  her  the  succeeding  spring.  One  mature  ram  to  about  fifty  ewes, 
with  a  little  grain  twice  a  day,  as  his  attention  to  the  ewes  prevents  his 
grazing,  and  without  extra  feed  would  cause  him  to  decline  in  flesh  and 
strength,  and  be  less  able  to  perform  his  duties.  In  summer  they  graze 
upon  my  meadows  and  grass  lots,  destroying  noxious  weeds,  briars,  etc.; 
in  winter  upon  the  winter  grazing  oat,  and  are  fed  only  when  the  oats  are 
too  wet  to  graze  or  the  ground  frozen  ;  they  are  then  removed  to  sod 
ground,  and  if  necessary,  feed  hay  or  grain.  In  the  spring  of  1877,  1 
sowed  a  field  to  clover ;  during  the  summer  the  rag  weed  was  about  to 
take  possession  of  it  and  smother  out  the  clover.  I  cut  it  and  cured  it, 
and  stored  it  away  in  the  shed,  salting  it  as  I  hauled  it  in ;  upon  this  the 
sheep  have  principally  fed  this  winter,  preferring  it  to  the  best  timothy 
hay.  I  market  my  mutton  at  home  markets  and  my  wool  in  Boston.  My 
flock  averages  about  nine  pounds  each,  of  fine  combing  wool,  not  sur- 
passed by  any,  and  retains  the  fineness  of  fibre  and  softness  to  the  touch 
transmitted  by  the  Merino.  .  I  sent  samples  of  wool  from  sheep  of  my 
own  breeding,  and  samples  from  an  imported  Cotswold,  to  Boston  for  com- 
parison— the  preference  was  given  to  that  of  my  own  breeding,  it  being 
equal  to  the  imported  in  every  respect,  and  superior  in  strength  and  fine- 
ness of  fibre.  I  would  prefer  to  market  my  wool  at  home,  but  from  some 
cause  there  is  too  great  a  margin  between  the  home  and  the  Boston  mar- 
ket. It  costs  me,  in  commissions  and  freight  less  than  three  cents  per 
pound  to  market  it  in  Boston. 

My  ewes  are  now  lambing,  in  which  they  have  heretofore  been  very 
proficient.  At  one  time  23  ewes  brought  consecutively,  47  lambs;  22 
having  twins  and  the  23d  triplets.  In  1877,  50  ewes  raised  79  lambs. 

Since  1866  I  have  received  for  sheep  and  wool  sold $  3,974  00 

I  have  now  on  hand  100  head,  which  I  could  not  replace  by 

purchase  for 1,500  00 

Value  of  flock  and  increase  from  it ,.$  5,474  00 

I  have  expended  for  breeding  ewes  and  rams 657  50 

Leaving  a  gross  profit  for  12  years,  of $  4,816  50 

or  over  60  per  cent,  per  annum  upon  the  capital  invested,  supposing  the 
same  to  have  been  invested  at  the  beginning,  while  about  one-half  of  it 
has  been  invested  in  the  past  few  years. 

I  have  said  nothing  as  to  the  cost  of  keep,  or  the  benefits  derived  from 
the  sheep,  but  taking  one-fourth  of  the  gross  profits,  which  is  about  $1.50 
per  head  per  annum,  without  giving  to  the  sheep  any  credit  for  benefits 
desived  from  them,  which  are  many,  and  there  is  still  left  over  45  per 
cent,  per  annum  for  twelve  consecutive  years. 

I  have  sustained  losses  by  dogs,  by  accident,  by  theft  and  by  disease, 
the  latter  principally  with  lambs — but  none  of  the  diseases  incident  to 
European  flocks  have  troubled  me.  With  dry  grounds,  proper  attention 


[261] 

to  grazing  and  feeding,  and  salting,  with  shelter  during  inclement  seasons, 
my  flock  has  kept  quite  healthy. 

I  do  not  believe  such  profits  can  be  realized  upon  sheep  on  a  large 
scale,  or  even  with  a  smaller  number,  if  the  husbandman  relies  upon  the 
breed  alone  (to  make  his  profits)  without  giving  them  proper  care  and 
attention.  But  I  am  sure  that  the  farmer  of  Tennessee  who  will  use 
ordinary  judgment  in  making  his  selections,  and  ordinary  care  in  hand- 
ling his  flock,  adapting  the  same  to  the  capacity  of  his  farm,  will  reap  a 
greater  profit  in  proportion  to  the  capital  invested,  than  from  any  other 
source.  His  flock  will  be  to  him  better  than  Government  or  State  bonds, 
returning  to  him  annually,  or  semi-annually  if  he  desires  it,  coupon 
fleece,  far  exceeding  in  interest  any  Government  or  State  bond,  with  no 
fear  of  repudiation  constantly  staring  him  in  the  face,  and  with  the 
proud  consolation  that  it  is  the  result  of  his  own  care  and  attention,  and 
not  wrung  from  the  sweat  and  blood  of  the  toiling  millions. 

AMNICOLA,  Feb.  5,  1878. 


FKOM  D.  M.  JONES,  SHARON,  TENNESSEE. 

J.  B.  KILLEBREW,  Commissioner,  etc., 

Dear  Sir — I  received  your  circular  at  a  late  date.  In  reply  I  will  say, 
sheep  raising  is  much  neglected,  taking  our  facilities  into  consideration. 
Permit  me  to  speak  a  few  words  from  experience.  Last  winter  was  the 
hardest  on  stock  we  have  had  for  several  years,  and  I  personally  know  of 
a  flock  of  sheep  that  ran  in  the  woods  all  winter,  without  feed  or  atten- 
tion, but  am  not  able  to  state  the  loss.  In  May  my  attention  was  directed 
to  a  portion  of  said  flock,  numbering  fifty-two  head,  old  sheep,  ewes  and 
wethers,  with  fourteen  nice  young  lambs,  with  a  good  prospect  of  raising 
them,  the  older  lambs  having  died  before  vegetation  afforded  sufficient 
grazing  for  the  ewes. 

I  estimate  the  wintering  on  cotton  seed  and  crushed  corn  six  months 
through  the  winter  at  75  cents  each,  giving  them  all  they  will  eat,  in  con- 
nection with  rye  and  other  winter  grazing. 

In  August  last  I  purchased  one  pair  of  sheep,  of  J.  B. 
Hill,  Franklin,  which  cost  $17.00.  I  then  selected 
32  scrub  ewes  at  $1.50  each.  Total  cost  of  stock....  $65  00 

Wintering  33  head  at  $1.00  each 33  00 

Interest  on  $98.00  at  10  per  cent 6  50 

$104  50 

Lost  one  ewe  from  natural  causes,  one  by  abortion,  one 
killed  by  accident,  one  from  castration,  and  two 
lambs  when  three  days  old.  Now  on  hand  65  head. 

Value  of  buck $17  00 

31  old  ewes  and  12  wether  lambs  at  $1.50  each 64  50 

16  ewe  lambs  at  $2.00  each,  and  5  bucks  at  $3.50 49  50 

Wool  clippled  from  32  ewes  and  buck,  131 J  Ibs.,  at  25c.      33  63 

$164  63 


Net  gain $  60  13 


[262] 


FKOM  MAJ.  GEO.  T.  ALLMAN. 

STOCKWELL,  MARSHALL  Co.,  TENN.,  July,  1877. 
J.  B.  KILLEBREW,  Commissioner  of  Agriculture,  etc. 

In  reply  to  your  letter  of  the  25th  ult.,  I  do  not  know  of  any  stock 
kept  on  a  farm  that  is  more  profitable  than  sheep.  They  pay  two  divi- 
dends a  year — lambs  and  fleece — besides  a  daily  dividend  of  manure,  and 
are  indispensable  on  a  stock  farm  to  keep  down  weeds,  bushes,  etc. 

I  do  not  know  how  I  can  better  illustrate  the  profits  than  by  giving  a 
recent  occurrence.  A  gentleman  had  seventeen  very  inferior  sheep,  sold 
them  for  $20,  and  gave  that  money  for  a  very  fine  ewe,  then  with  lamb. 
This  was  three  years  since.  He  received  $62.50  for  two  lambs  sold  and 
the  wool.  I  paid  him  $100,  a  few  days  since,  for  the  original  ewe  and 
nine  others — all  her  produce  and  descendants.  He  lost  several  lambs  by 
the  severe  winter  of  1876-7;  never  provided  any  shelter,  and  never  fed 
them  one  bushel  of  grain. 

My  best  ewes  pay  me  annually  an  average  of  $25  per  head  (sales  of 
lambs  and  wool). 

The  second  question  is  more  difficult  to  answer,  as  all  depends  upon  the 
number  of  other  stock  kept  on  the  farm,  and  whether  luxuriant  pastures 
or  a  scanty  bite.  There  is  neither  profit  nor  pleasure  in  handling  inferior 
stock,  and  there  is  no  pay  in  short  grass.  From  three  to  four  sheep  to  one 
acre  of  grass  can  be  well  kept  with  other  stock  in  such  quantities  as  are 
usually  kept  on  our  farms. 

For  mutton,  the  Southdowns  have  no  equal.  For  carcass  and  fleece 
combined,  I  prefer  the  Cotswold.  When  large  flocks  are  proposed  to  be 
kept,  I  would  give  the  preference  to  the  Merino.  I  prefer  the  Cotswold 
from  the  fact  there  is  more  demand  for  them  and  they  pay  better.  I  find 
that  sheep  and  all  other  stock  do  best  and  pay  most  when  protected  from 
sleets,  snow,  etc.  When  there  is  plenty  of  grazing  they  require  very  little 
feed.  I  think  it  advisable  to  change  their  pastures,  and  they  should  have 
salt,  water  and  shade  free  of  access.  During  severe  winter  I  feed  one  ear 
of  corn  per  day  to  each  sheep,  and  when  the  ground  is  covered  with  snow, 
all  the  hay  they  will  eat.  Sheep  properly  cared  for  seldom  have  any 
disease  with  us.  If  kept  in  good  flesh,  they  are  seldom  annoyed  with 
"sheep  ticks."  A  tobacco  dip  will  rid  them  of  ticks.  It  is  an  excellent 
plan  to  bore  holes  with  a  two-inch  augur,  fill  the  holes  nearly  to  the  top 
with  salt,  and  put  pine  tar  around  the  holes,  so  that  when  the  sheep  lick 
the  salt  they  get  the  tar  on  their  noses,  and  are  not  much  annoyed  by  the 
fly  in  summer.  Early  lambs  should  be  clipped  in  July,  which  renders 
them  less  liable  to  disease.  This  applies  more  especially  to  the  long- 
wooled  sheep.  When  the  fly  annoys  them,  the  lambs  run  from  tree  to 
tree  and  get  very  hot  and  perspire  very  much,  then  lie  down  on  damp 


[263] 

grass  and  get  chilled,  their  fleece  being  so  long  their  carcass  does  not 
"dry  out." 

In  answer  to  your  question  as  to  the  number  of  sheep  killed  by  dogs,  I 
answer  that  I  believe  one-fifth  are  annually  killed  or  maimed  by  dogs  in 
this  vicinity.  This  is  the  great  barrier  to  the  profitable  raising  of  sheep, 
and  as  our  wise  solons  love  the  dog  more  than  the  sheep,  and  as  our  pres- 
ent law  is  wholly  insufficient  to  give  the  owner  of  the  sheep  any  protec- 
tion, I  see  but  two  ways  to  remedy  the  evil.  1.  To  make  it  a  rule  to  kill 
every  straggling  dog  found  on  the  premises  2.  To  make  the  land-owners 
responsible  for  all  sheep  killed  by  dogs  that  are  around  or  kept  by  those 
in  their  employ  or  living  on  their  land.  I  think  we  would  not  then,  as 
now,  have  from  two  to  five  worthless  curs  to  every  freedman  or  tenant. 


SHEEP-HUSBANDRY  IN  EAST  TENNESSEE. 


BY  J.  W.  F.  FOSTER,  LL  D. 

The  permanently  remunerative  industries  of  every  country  will  be  de- 
termined by  its  physical  peculiarities  of  soil,  climate,  and  topography. 
Governmental  interference  and  other  temporary  circumstances  may,  for  a 
time,  turn  them  into  unnatural  channels,  but  ultimately  they  will  assume 
or  revert  to  those  channels  which  nature  has  pointed  out.  Of  this  truth 
East  Tennessee  is  a  notable  illustration.  The  unwise  devotion  of  the 
Gulf  States  to  the  almost  exclusive  production  of  cotton  created  a  near 
and  profitable  market  for  our  cereals,  and  to  supply  it  their  production 
was  stimulated  to  the  utmost.  Our  devotion  to  grain  was  as  exclusive 
and  as  unwise  as  was  their  devotion  to  cotton.  As  a  consequence,  after 
half  a  century  of  uninterrupted  grain-growing,  we  have  reached  the  point 
that,  away  from  the  river  bottoms,  few  farms  are  profitably  productive, 
and  large  numbers  are  utterly  exhausted.  The  lands  and  their  owners 
are  gradually  growing  poorer.  And  so  they  will  continue  until  a  radical 
change  is  introduced  into  our  system  of  husbandry.  It  is  not  a  matter  of 
choice,  but  one  of  necessity.  The  character  of  this  needed  change  is 


[264] 

plainly  indicatedlby  the  physical  elements  of  the  country.  They  are  the 
same  as  those  of  Spain,  the  oldest  and  most  extensive  wool-growing  region 
of  the  world;  they  are  the  same  as  those  of  California  and  Australia 
which,  in  our  day,  are  as  yet  her  only  rivals.  High  ranges  of  mountains 
to  the  north  and  the  south  of  us,  furnishing  shelter  from  arctic  cold  and 
torrid  heat;  the  intermediate  space  furrowed  into  innumerable  ridges  and 
valleys;  a  dry  soil,  but  an  abundance  of  the  purest  living  water;  a  cli- 
mate strictly  temperate,  where  all  the  valuable  grasses  flourish  in  perpet- 
ual verdure;  an  atmosphere  saturated  with  all  the  elements  of  health; 
such  are  its  chief  characteristics,  and  such  is  the  paradise  of  the  sheep. 
Notwithstanding  these  great  natural  advantages,  we  do  not  produce  over 
the  sixth  part  of  the  wool  consumed  by  our  population.  The  number  of 
our  sheep  is  scarcely  equal  to  half  of  our  population  ;  we  have  but  one 
sheep  to  every  eight  acres  of  our  improved  lands;  one  to  every  forty  acres 
of  our  entire  territory.  Our  number  is  but  a  small  fraction  of  what  it 
could  and  should  be,  as  may  be  seen  from  the  following  statistics:  Spain, 
with  neither  a  soil  nor  climate  equal  to  ours,  has  two  sheep  for  each  of 
her  population,  and  one  to  every  five  acres  of  her  territory.  The  State  of 
Vermont  keeps  one  sheep  to  every  four  acres  of  her  territory,  and  three  to 
every  one  of  her  population.  New  York  has  one  sheep  to  every  seven 
acres  of  territory;  Ohio,  one  to  every  six  acres.  The  proportion  of  horses 
and  cattle  in  the  two  last  mentioned  States  is  also  fully  double  that  of 
Tennessee.  If  in  these  States,  where  sheep-husbandry  is  not  the  chief  oc- 
cupation of  the  farmers  but  merely  incidental  to  their  other  occupations, 
where  the  climate  is  so  rigorous  as  to  require  feeding  from  three  to  six 
months  in  the  year,  and  where  the  price  of  land  is  upon  an  average  four- 
fold that  of  ours,  such  numbers  of  sheep  are  maintained,  how  much  better 
could  be  our  own  showing  if  our  people  were  only  wisely  alive  to  their 
owrn  interest.  The  assessment  rolls  of  East  Tennessee  show  an  aggregate 
in  round  numbers  of  eight  and  one-half  millions  of  acres,  of  which  not 
quite  one-fourth  is  returned  as  improved.  Without  materially  interfer- 
ing with  other  agricultural  operations  this  territory  could  support  two 
and  one-half  million  sheep,  which,  at  a  low  estimate,  would  yield  in 
money  three-fourths  as  much  as  the  entire  crop  of  wheat,  corn  and  oats, 
basing  the  calculation  upon  the  census  report  of  1870,  and  taking  the 
average  price  of  wool  and  grain  for  the  last  five  years.  In  other  words, 
the  income  of  our  farmers  would  be  nearly  doubled,  with  but  little  addi- 
tional labor  and  expense.  From  our  own  experience  and  that  of  a  large 
number  of  farmers  who  do  raise  sheep,  we  believe  that  the  results  would 
be  considerably  above  our  estimate.  Moreover,  this  estimate  does  not  in- 
clude the  value  of  the  manure  as  a  fertilizer,  of  which  more  will  subse- 
quently be  said. 

If  this  representation  is  correct,  the  question  naturally  occurs,  why  do 
not  our  people  engage  in  the  business?  There  are,  it  seems  to  us,  three 
chief  reasons.  There  exists  in  many  minds  a  prejudice  against  the  sheep; 


[265] 

there  is  a  natural  reluctance  to  change  from  old  ways  and  habits  which 
have  been  handed  down  from  father  to  son;  but  more  than  all  else,  is  the 
want  of  adequate  and  permanent  legislation  to  protect  the  sheep-grower 
against  his  most  deadly  enemy,  the  dog.  Against  a  prejudice  and  a  feel- 
ing the  weapons  of  reason  are  powerless.  People  cannot  be  argued  out  of 
them;  they  must  outgrow  them.  But  when  this  growth  has  once  com- 
menced it  is  generally  rapid,  and  from  all  the  information  which  we  can 
derive  from  the  various  counties  in  this  division  of  the  State,  it  has  al- 
ready proceeded  so  far  that,  but  for  the  want  of  adequate  legislation,  our 
people  would  largely  embark  in  the  business. 

THE   DOG, 

more  than  any  other  one  thing,  is  keeping  East  Tennessee  poor.  If,  ac- 
cording to  the  Spanish  proverb,  beneath  the  foot  of  the  sheep  is  prosper- 
ity and  wealth,  beneath  that  of  the  dog  is  decay  and  poverty.  From  data 
furnished  by  the  assessment  rolls,  we  have  in  this  division  of  the  State  at 
least  sixty  thousand  dogs.  If  before  the  tribunal  of  Reason  and  Common 
Sense  an  indictment  were  preferred  against  these  dogs  as  a  public  nui- 
sance, such  an  array  of  charges  could  be  made  and  sustained  as  would 
insure  a  verdict  of  guilty,  and  with  scarcely  any  palliating  circumstances 
for  an  appeal  to  the  mercy  of  the  court.  It  would  be  proved  that  the 
food  consumed  by  each  dog  would  produce  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds 
of  pork,  which  would  aggregate  nine  million  pounds,  worth,  at  the  lowest 
estimate,  five  hundred  and  forty  thousand  dollars.  It  would  be  shown 
that  the  destruction  of  property  by  them  annually  averages  but  little  less 
than  that  produced  by  fire  and  flood.  It  would  be  shown  that,  in  conse- 
quence of  their  evil  disposition,  our  formers  are  deterred  from  engaging 
in  the  raising  of  sheep,  by  which  a  loss  of  revenue  is  caused  to  the  people 
and  to  the  State  of  at  least  five  millions  of  dollars  annually.  It  would  be 
shown  that  large  numbers  of  immigrants,  with  money  in  their  purses  and 
brains  in  their  heads,  are  prevented  from  settling  among  us  and  helping 
to  build  up  the  country,  from  the  fact  that  these  dogs  render  it  too  hazard- 
ous to  embark  in  the  only  agricultural  operation  that  offers  a  reasonable 
prospect  of  profit.  It  is  a  crime  against  the  dignity  and  welfare  of  the 
State  that  such  a  nuisance  should  exist. 

THE   PROFITS 

of  sheep-husbandry,  like  those  of  every  other  business,  will  greatly  depend 
upon  the  skill  and  attention  with  which  it  is  conducted.  In  estimating 
them,  three  elements  are  to  be  considered — the  wool,  the  mutton,  and  the 
manure.  There  are  several  ways  of  estimating  these  profits,  all  of  which 
are  very  approximately  correct  and  whose  results  closely  harmonize.  We 
will  first  compare  them  with  those  of  corn  and  wheat  upon  our  lands  of 


[266  | 

average  fertility.     The  account  with  an  acre  of  corn  would  be  about  as 

follows : 

Plowing  and  planting $2  00 

Cultivating  and  harvesting  2  50 

$4  50 

Twenty  bushels  at  50c.  per  bushel,  $10— leaving  a  profit  of  $5.50  per  acre. 
With  an  acre  of  wheat  it  would  stand: 

Seed $1  00 

Plowing  and  sowing  2  00 

Harvesting  and  threshing 85 

$3  85 

Eight  bushels,  at  $1  per  bushel,  $8 — leaving  a  profit  of  $4.15  per  acre. 
The  same  land  would  support  five  sheep  to  every  two  acres : 

Wool,  4  Ibs.  per  head,  at  40c.  per  Ib $8  00 

Four  lambs,  at  $1.50  per  head 6  00 

$14  00 
Expense  at  60c.  per  head 3  00 


$11  00 

Leaving  a  profit  of  $5.50  per  acre,  being  equal  to  that  of  corn,  and  ex- 
ceeding that  of  wheat  by  $1.35  per  acre. 

Our  estimates  of  the  profits  of  the  corn  and  wheat  are  full  high,  larger 
than  will  be  generally  realized;  that  of  the  sheep  full  low,  much  less 
than  would  be  realized  with  good  sheep  and  proper  management. 

Another  method  of  estimation  is  the  rates  at  which  sheep  are  loaned. 
In  some  States  it  is  quite  common  for  moneyed  men  to  let  out  flocks  of 
sheep  to  those  having  less  means.  Sometimes  a  flock  of  ewes  is  thus 
loaned,  to  double  in  four  years,  being  a  rental  of  25  per  cent,  per  annum. 
More  frequently  they  are  let  for  two  pounds  of  wool  per  head  annually, 
returning  the  original  number.  If  the  ewe  is  worth  three  dollars,  and 
wool  forty  cents  per  pound,  this  would  give  a  rental  of  26|  per  cent,  per 
annum. 

No  man  can  rent  land  at  25  per  cent,  of  its  value  per  acre,  keep  it  up, 
and,  after  a  series  of  years,  reiurn  it  in  as  good  condition  as  when  re- 
ceived. A  clear  interest  of  ten  per  cent,  would  make  land  the  most  profit- 
able investment  that  could  be  made. 

All  of  these  estimates  show  that  sheep-husbandry  is  more  profitable 
than  grain.  But  we  are  satisfied  that  in  this  climate,  with  good  breeds  of 
sheep  and  with  the  right  management,  our  lands  can  be  made  to  yield  at 
the  least  fifty  per  cent  more  than  our  estimate.  We  have  assumed  our 
sheep  to  yield  four  pounds;  they  can  be  easily  made  to  reach  six  and 
eight  pounds.  We  have  assumed  that  our  lands  can  carry  but  two  and 
one-half  sheep  to  the  acre;  they  can  carry  three.  We  have  assumed  that 


[267] 

every  hundred  ewes  give  eighty  lambs;  they  can  be  made  to  give  from 
one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  twenty.  We  have  assumed  that  the 
lambs  bring  $1.50  per  head;  they  can  be  made,  as  mutton,  to  yield  $3 
per  head  net.  Moreover,  we  have  left  out  of  the  consideration  the  ma- 
nure, which,  at  the  lowest  estimate,  is  worth  fifty  cents  per  head.  In  cor- 
roboration  of  our  estimate,  we  would  state  that  we  have  taken  pains  to 
obtain  the  opinion  of  sheep-raisers  upon  this  point,  and  though  their  esti- 
mates differ  from  each  other,  all  agree  that  it  is  the  most  profitable  part 
of  their  farm  operations. 

No  estimate  of  the  profits  of  this  business  is  complete  without  a  consid- 
eration of  the  value  of 

SHEEP   AS   FERTILIZERS. 

This  is  a  matter  of  special  interest  to  the  farmers  of  East  Tennessee,  to 
whom  the  recuperation  of  their  exhausted  fields  is  a  subject  of  vital  im- 
portance. Chemical  analysis  shows  the  manure  of  the  sheep  to  be  richer 
in  the  elements  of  vegetable  growth  than  that  of  the  horse  or  cow.  Its 
nature  and  method  of  distribution  insure  nearly  its  entire  utilization, 
while  that  of  these  other  animals  is,  to  a  large  extent,  wasted.  In  Eng- 
land it  is  held  to  be  worth  over  a  dollar  per  head.  In  this  country  it  is 
commonly  placed  at  fifty  cents.  Our  own  estimate  would  be  much  higher. 
In  the  absence  of  a  record  of  exact  experiments  by  others,  we  may  be 
excused  for  referring  to  two  of  our  own  made  this  year.  Our  sheep  are 
folded  every  night,  summer  and  winter,  in  an  enclosed  shed,  with  a  paled 
yard  attached.  The  shed  is  kept  well  littered,  and  the  yard  scraped  once 
or  twice  a  week,  the  scrapings  being  thrown  into  the  shed.  Last  August 
the  manure  from  ten  sheep  for  the  year  was  spread  upon  a  quarter  of  an 
acre  of  my  thin  land.  The  piece  was  then  sowed  to  turnips.  Though 
the  season  has  proved  very  unfavorable,  it  promises  a  yield  of  at  least  the 
rate  of  250  bushels  to  the  acre.  Without  the  manure  it  would  not  yield 
fifty.  The  manure  of  these  ten  sheep  will  make  me  fifty  bushels  of  tur- 
nips; its  effects  will  be  larger  next  year,  and  will  be  very  perceptible  for 
the  two  or  three  succeeding  years. 

This  summer  the  scrapings  from  a  yard  in  which  twenty  sheep  were 
folded,  have  amounted  to  about  four  bushels  per  week,  or  about  ten  bush- 
els per  head  for  the  year.  In  May  one  bushel  of  these  scrapings  was 
sown  in  a  ridge  of  sweet  potatoes,  ten  rods  in  length.  As  compared 
with  the  adjoining  rows  the  effects  throughout  the  season  have  been  vis- 
ible; and  judging  from  the  few  that  have  been  already  dug,  the  yield 
will  be  increased  at  least  three  pecks,  or  an  increase  of  sixty-six  bushels 
to  the  acre.  The  nightly  manure  of  twenty  sheep  thus  saved  and  used 
would  cover  an  acre  and  a  half  of  land,  and  increase  the  yield  one  hun- 
dred bushels.  And  furthermore,  the  force  of  the  manure  is  far  from 
expended  on  the  first  crop.  This  is  the  result  of  only  half  of  the  sheep's 


[268] 

manure,  the  balance  being  spread  on  the  pasture.  From  these  and  other 
experiments  made  by  me,  I  am  positive  that  the  manure  of  one  sheep  is 
of  more  value  than  one  hundred  pounds  of  guano,  which  will  cost  at 
least  three  and  one-half  dollars.  Too  little  value  is  generally  attached 
to  this  element  of  profit ;  probably  from  the  fact  that  our  fathers  tilled 
the  land  in  all  its  virgin  fruitfulness,  and  did  not  feel  the  need  of  it, 
and  we  are  still  encumbered  with  their  ways  of  thought  and  action.  But 
many  of  our  best  farmers  are  beginning  to  discover  that,  if  the  manure 
is  their  only  clear  profit  on  stock,  it  nevertheless  pays. 
The  profits  of  sheep-husbandry  will  largely  depend  on 

THEIR   MANAGEMENT. 

No  animal  will  endure  neglect  and  thrive  under  it  equal  to  the  sheep; 
and  no  animal  will  respond  more  generously  to  extra  care  and  attention. 
It  is  the  prevalent  idea  and  practice  that  sheep  must  take  care  of  them- 
selves. Hence  small  sheep,  little  wool  and  no  profit.  It  would  be  as 
reasonable  to  expect  a  good  crop  of  corn  without  cultivation  as  to  expect 
a  good  crop  of  wool  or  mutton  without  the  bestowal  of  proper  care  upon 
the  producers  of  them.  Sheep  will  thrive  in  the  summer  season  on  almost 
any  of  our  pastures  and  old  fields;  it  is  consequently  for  the  winter  that 
provision  is  specially  to  be  made.  And  herein  lies  one  of  our  chief  ad- 
vantages as  a  sheep-raising  State.  In  the  North  they  must  be  fed  on  arti- 
ficial food  from  three  to  six  months  in  the  year ;  here  they  need  require 
it  scarcely  as  many  days.  In  New  York  or  Michigan  it  will  cost  from 
$1.00  to  $1.50  per  head  to  winter  them ;  here  they  can  be  wintered 
equally  well  at  a  cost  of  from  twenty-five  to  fifty  cents.  The  course 
which  I  Avould  recommend,  founded  on  my  own  experience  and  that  of 
many  of  our  most  intelligent  and  successful  sheep-raisers,  would  be  about 
as  follows :  Provide  a  field  of  such  grass  as  grows  late  in  the  fall  and 
starts  early  in  the  spring,  and  which  will  keep  green  through  the  winter. 
Orchard  grass  and  red-top  are  perhaps  the  best,  especially  where  blue 
grass  will  not  succeed.  Let  it  make  a  good  growth  in  the  fall.  Turn  on 
about  the  middle  of  November;  and  unless  too  heavily  stocked,  it  will 
furnish  an  abundant  pasturage  till  the  first  of  February. 

As  early  in  the  fall  as  possible,  sow  rye  or  winter  oats  in  cornfields  or 
elsewhere.  From  the  first  of  February  till  late  in  the  spring,  sheep  can 
have  no  better  food  than  can  thus  be  provided.  By  this  method  they  can 
be  kept  thriving  through  the  winter  at  but  a  trifling  more  expense  than 
through  the  summer.  But  when  the  weather  is  stormy  and  inclement,  so 
that  they  are  disinclined  to  graze,  it  will  be  advisable  to  feed  them  some 
grain.  At  such  times  they  need  a  more  nutritious  food  to  supply  the 
animal  heat  which  the  cold  and  dampness  so  rapidly  abstract.  For  it 
must  be  remembered  that  large,  healthy  lambs  at  yeaning  time,  and 
heavy  fleeces  at  shearing  time,  can  be  expected  only  from  sheep  that  have 
been  kept  in  good  order  through  the  winter. 


[269] 

The  importance  of  the  matter  will  be  a  sufficient  excuse  for  a  brief 
digression  upon  the  sowing  of  rye  in  the  fall.  The  advantage  of  it  is 
three  fold,  especially  on  fields  that  have  been  cultivated  this  year,  and 
are  to  be  followed  by  cultivation  the  next.  First,  a  large  amount  of  ex- 
cellent feed  is  obtained;  secondly,  it  very  effectually  prevents  the  wash- 
ings to  which  our  fields  are  so  disastrously  subjected  by  winter  rains . 
thirdly,  when  turned  under  in  the  spring  it  is  a  valuable  fertilizer.  Its 
rapid  decomposition  furnishes  heat  and  assimilable  food  to  the  plant  at  a 
time  when  they  are  particularly  needed.  Either  one  of  these  advantages 
is  sufficient  to  repay  the  cost ;  the  three  combined  make  it  one  of  our 
most  valuable  crops.  In  fact,  as  things  now  are,  it  is  an  essential  of  good 
farming;  and  it  is  a  happy  omen  for  the  agriculture  of  our  State  that  the 
practice  is  rapidly  extending. 

Though  not  a  necessity  in  our  climate, 

ROOTS 

are  an  important  adjunct  in  the  wintering  of  sheep.  No  other  crop  will 
furnish  an  equal  amount  of  wholesome  food  to  the  acre.  In  this  manner, 
also,  a  variety  of  food  is  furnished  as  essential  to  sheep  as  to  man.  It  is 
well  known  that  the  agriculture  of  England  has  been  brought  to  its 
present  high  standard,  and  is  kept  advancing,  chiefly  by  means  of  sheep, 
largely  supported  on  turnips.  In  our  climate,  as  there,  the  crop  can  be 
left  on  the  ground  during  the  winter  and  harvested  by  the  animals  them- 
selves. An  acre  of  good  ground  will  yield  from  400  to  600  bushels  ;  more 
than  equal  to  fifty  bushels  of  corn,  and  raised  at  less  expense.  Another 
important  root  crop,  too  much  neglected,  is  the  sweet  potato.  On  fair  soil 
productive  varieties  will  yield  from  250  to  400  bushels  to  the  acre,  equal 
for  feeding  purposes  to  from  60  to  100  bushels  of  corn;  and  they  can  be 
kept  without  difficulty  till  Christmas.  The  expense  of  raising  them  is 
some  more  than  that  of  raising  an  equal  area  of  corn,  but  less  than  that 
of  raising  their  equivalent  in  feeding  qualities.  Besides,  they  are  but 
little  exhaustive  to  the  soil.  My  own  practice  is  to  raise  sweet  potatoes 
for  early  feeding  and  turnips  for  late.  They  are  moreover  an'excellent 
feed  for  horses,  milch  cows  and  hogs.  A  feed  of  them  two  or  three  times 
a  week  greatly  promotes  the  thrift  of  these  animals. 

It  is  a  prevalent  belief  that  sheep  need  no  protection  from  the  weather. 
No  idea  is  more  erroneous.  Thev  will  suffer  less  from  the  dry  cold  of 
Minnesota  than  from  the  chilling  rains  of  Tennessee.  Their  fleeces  be- 
come saturated  with  dampness,  and  the  animal  heat  is  rapidly  abstracted 
by  evaporation.  It  is  the  very  best  of  economy  for  the  saving  of  food, 
for  the  growth  of  soft  and  heavy  fleeces,  for  the  health  of  the  sheep,  and 
for  the  preservation  and  thrift  of  the  lambs,  that  ample  and  comfortable 

SHELTER 

should  be  provided.  The  saving  of  feed  and  life,  and  the  extra  produce, 
will  amount  to  full  twenty-five  per  cent.  Then  there  is  to  the  humane 


[270] 

man  the  feeling  of  pleasure  and  satisfaction  arising  from  the  knowledge 
that  in  the  midst  of  a  wintry  storm,  while  he  himself  is  enjoying  the 
comforts  of  a  blazing  fire,  his  sheep  likewise  are  comfortable  in  their 
quarters.  Their  house  should  be  well  covered  and  protected  from 
the  winds.  Attached  should  be  an  open  yard,  to  which  they  have  free 
access.  Their  house  should  be  kept  well  littered.  Upon  one  side  should 
be  troughs  for  feeding  and  salting.  Many,  perhaps  most,  will  consider  all 
this  as  unnecessary  and  useless  trouble.  But  we  say  that  which  we  do 
know,  when  we  say  it  pays.  Sheep  thus  sheltered  will  keep  fat  on  the 
food  that  will  barely  sustain  life  in  those  which  are  exposed.  Their 
fleeces  are  kept  clean,  lambs  are  seldom  lost  from  exposure ;  they  become 
gentle,  can  readily  be  caught  and  handled,  and  the  state  and  condition  of 
the  flock  are  known  every  day.  Uncared  for  sheep  will  yield  some  wool 
and  mutton  but  no  profit.  Generous  profits  are  the  offspring  of  generous 
treatment.  Physical  comfort  and  mental  quietude  are  as  essential  to  the 
well-being  of  our  domestic  animals  as  to  our  own. 
Among  the  numerous 

BREEDS 

of  sheep  the  public  favor  seems  to  be  divided  principally  between  the 
Merino  and  the  Cotswold.  The  former  yields  a  short,  fine  fleece  weighing 
from  four  to  six  pounds ;  the  latter  yields  a  long,  rather  coarse,  fleece 
weighing  from  eight  to  ten  pounds.  The  former  has  a  small  carcass, 
weighing  from  seventy-five  to  one  hundred  pounds;  the  carcass  of  the 
latter  will  run  from  125  pounds  to  175  pounds.  Formerly  the  Merinos 
were  the  most  popular ;  but  of  late  years  the  increasing  consumption  of 
mutton  and  the  demand  for  long  wool  for  combing  purposes  seems  to  have 
turned  the  tide  of  popularity  towards  the  Cotswold.  For  the  mountain- 
ous regions  of  East  Tennessee,  remote  from  markets  and  lines  of  transpor- 
tation, and  where  the  production  of  wool  is  the  chief  object  of  the  sheep 
raiser,  the  Merino  may  be  the  most  desirable.  But  in  most  portions  that 
breed  will  be  found  most  profitable  which  yields  the  greatest  returns 
both  of  wool  and  mutton.  These  combined  qualities  the  Cotswold  seems 
to  possess  above  any  other  breed 

But  throwing  the  wool  entirely  out  of  consideration,  it  is  generally 
maintained  by  sheep-growers,  that,  as  meat-producing  animals,  they  are 
more  profitable  than  either  hogs  or  cattle,  except  perhaps  on  rich  bottom 
lands.  Randall,  an  extensive  sheep-farmer  of  New  York,  says  it  can  be 
demonstrated  that  a  pound  of 

MUTTON 

can  be  produced  cheaper  than  a  pound  of  pork  or  beef.  And  several 
farmers  of  this  State  largely  engaged  in  all  three  varieties  of  stock-rais- 
ing, have  expressed  to  the  writer  the  same  opinion.  The  consumption  of 
mutton  is  fast  increasing  throughout  the  United  States.  In  our  large 


[271] 

cities  the  demand  is,  as  a  rule,  in  excess  of  the  supply ;  and  the  recent 
successful  enterprise  of  shipping  fresh  meat  to  Europe  will  doubtless,  in  a 
few  years,  greatly  enhance  this  demand.  If  for  no  other  purpose,  every 
farmer  should  keep  a  few  sheep  that  he  may  have  a  supply  of  fresh  mut- 
ton whenever  desired.  It  is  as  wholesome  and  nutritious  as  beef,  and  if 
properly  dressed,  as  palatable.  The  flesh  diet  of  our  rural  population  is 
chiefly  salt  pork;  and  so  it  must  for  a  long  time  continue,  especially 
during  the  hot  months,  unless  resort  is  had  to  mutton.  By  interchanging, 
every  neighborhood  of  three  or  lour  farmers  could  keep  their  tables  sup- 
plied without  risk  of  loss  by  the  weather.  It  would  add  much  to  the 
comfort  and  enjoyment  of  the  family,  and  perhaps  cause  no  small  saving 
on  the  score  of  "doctor's  bills." 

Information  received  from  all  portions  of  this  Division  of  the  State 
makes  it  certain  that  there  is  a  rapidly  growing  sentiment  in  favor  of 
sheep-husbandry.  Many  who  have  not  heretofore  kept  sheep  are  starting 
flocks ;  others  are  enlarging ;  all  are  striving  to  improve  their  quality. 
Quite  a  number  have  engaged  extensively  in  breeding  Cotswolds,  and  they 
are  unable  to  supply  the  home  demand  for  pure-bred  stock.  If  wisdom 
rules  in  our  Legislature,  and  the  dog  nuisance  is  permanently  abated  or 
rendered  harmless,  it  may  confidently  be  predicted  that  within  the  next 
decade  scarcely  a  farm  will  be  found  without  sheep,  and  in  the  larger 
number  of  instances  they  will  be  the  principal  stock.  Nature  certainly 
points  in  that  direction  ;  and  the  good  sense  of  our  people  cannot  fail  to 
induce  them  to  follow  at  her  bidding.  For  us  there  is  no  need  of  a  new 
Argonautic  expedition  in  search  of  the  Golden  Fleece.  We  can  find  it 
right  here  at  home.  Her  sheep  yield  more  gold  to  California  than  her 
mines.  The  herbage  that  grows  upon  our  mountains  and  hillsides  can 
yield  to  us  and  to  our  posterity  a  more  enduring  supply  of  wealth  than 
their  interiors,  though  traversed  with  Comstock  lodes. 

We  have  presented,  hitherto,  some  of  the  claims  of  sheep-husbandry  as 
a  source  of  profit  by  the  money  it  yields  and  by  the  fertility  it  imparts  to 
the  soil.  But  it  is  not  upon  this  ground  alone,  nor  chiefly  that  we  would 
urge  it  upon  our  farmers.  As  a  class  of  the  community,  they,  their 
wives  and  their  children,  are  overworked.  Almost  from  the  cradle  to  the 
grave  they  spend  a  life  of  unremitting  toil.  They  grow  prematurely  old ; 
they  lack  many  of  the  rational  enjoyments  of  life ;  worse  than  all,  they 
are  far  from  reaching  that  high  standard  of  intellectual  and  moral  char- 
acter to  which  their  occupation  is  preeminently  favorable.  Overwork  is 
as  bad  on  the  health  and  character  as  idleness.  Both  are  extremes;  both 
are  misfortunes ;  the  one  makes  men  useless  drones,  the  other  makes  them 
jaded  slaves.  Under  our  present  system  of  farming  it  cannot  well  be  oth- 
erwise. The  difference  in  the  labor  required  on  a  grain  farm  and  that  on 
a  stock  farm  can  scarcely  be  appreciated  by  those  who  have  not  expe- 
rienced it.  But  great  as  is  this  difference,  it  is  no  greater  than  that  in 
the  character  of  the  two  classes  of  farmers.  Go  to  the  rich  prairies  of 


[272] 

Illinois;  visit  a  grain-growing  community;  then  pass  to  the  adjoining 
stock-growers.  The  contrast  is  so  great  that  a  dullard  cannot  fail  to  mark 
it.  He  seems  to  have  been  transported  to  a  different  world.  The  grain- 
grower  is  so  dependent  on  the  fickleness  of  the  seasons  and  the  unreliable- 
ness  of  human  labor,  that  he  seems  to  have  lost  all  independence  of  char- 
acter ;  the  stock-grower,  less  affected  by  these  troubles,  presents  an  ideal 
of  manly  independence.  The  grain-grower  sees  the  fertility  of  his  lands 
decreasing,  and  with  it  his  income,  talks  of  selling  out  and  moving  west 
to  fresher  fields,  to  Kansas  or  Nebraska  ;  he  is  filled  with  the  spirit  of 
unrest  and  discontent,  and  they  brand  their  mark  on  his  and  his  family's 
foreheads.  The  stock-grower  sees' that  his  lands  are  annually  becoming 
richer,  and  in  consequence  his  income  larger;  for  him  Kansas  and  Ne- 
braska have  no  charms;  he  thinks  of  no  change,  unless  it  may  be  to  buy 
a  gold  mine  in  California  or  a  palace  in  Chicago,  after  he  has  bought  and 
stocked  all  the  desirable  lands  in  his  vicinity;  he  is  filled  with  quietude 
and  content,  and  upon  his  and  his  family's  foreheads  they  too  impress 
their  mark.  From  January  to  December  the  grain-grower  and  his  family 
spend  a  round  of  constant  toil.  Too  busy  in  the  daytime,  too  fatigued  at 
night,  they  neither  study  nor  read.  Of  the  literature,  science  and  art  of 
the  world,  they  know  little,  care  less.  Their  intellects  become  narrowed 
and  dwarfed,  incapable  of  a  noble  thought  or  a  generous  feeling.  The 
stock-grower  and  his  family,  with  more  of  leisure  and  less  of  wearisome- 
ness,  find  time  for  reading  and  for  society.  Their  taste  becomes  refined, 
their  intellect  expanded.  Books  and  periodicals  become  a  luxury  and  a 
necessity.  An  interest  is  created  and  cultivated  in  the  affairs  and  the 
thoughts  of  the  great  world  lying  beyond  the  horizon  of  the  belfry  of 
ther  village  church.  In  their  views  of  things  they  become  cosmopolitan, 
noble  in  their  thoughts,  generous  in  the  impulses  of  their  hearts.  This 
contrast  is  not  exaggerated.  All  intelligent  travelers  will  perceive  its 
truth.  The  writer  has  marked  it  in  scores  of  instances  in  different 
portions  of  our  country. 

We  conclude  with  the  language  of  Mr.  Grey  to  the  Hexam  Farmers' 
Club  in  England:  "The  wealth  and  success  of  a  farmer  may  be  pretty 
well  calculated  by  the  amount  of  his  sheep  stock.  Sheep  are  said  to  be 
the  animals  with  the  golden  hoof  ;  they  enrich  where  they  go.  They  not 
only  enrich  the  master,  but  the  soil." 


[273] 

LEICESTER  SHEEP. 

BY  DR.  WM.  WILLIAMS,  OF  DAVIDSON  COUNTY. 

Mr.  Bakewell,  a  breeder  of  stock  in  the  shire  of  Leicester,  England, 
with  clear  and  well-defined  ideas  in  regard  to  sheep-breeding,  created  in 
his  own  mind  an  ideal  of  perfection,  and  determined  to  establish  a  distinct 
breed  of  sheep  to  which  he  thought  no  possible  objection  could  be  raised. 
From  his  own  flock,  those  of  his  neighbors,  and  the  stock-yards,  he  selected 
sheep  which  he  thought  were  most  likely  to  produce  the  offspring  he 
wanted.  Encouraged  by  the  success  of  this  effort  in  obtaining  a  sheep  of 
good  form  and  constitution,  he  continued  his  efforts  in  making  selections 
to  cross-breed  with.  When  on  a  visit  to  a  friend  in  Lincolnshire  who  was 
an  eminent  stock-breeder,  and  looking  over  the  flock  of  sheep  his  quick 
eye  rested  on  a  ram  whose  small  head,  long,  round  body,  short  legs,  and 
mellow  handling,  so  pleased  him  that  he  prevailed  on  his  friend  to  part 
with  his  best  ram.  This  ram  corrected  some  of  the  defects  of  the  flock, 
particularly  in  the  wool,  he  having  a  coat  of  closer  texture  and  of  a 
longer  and  finer  staple.  He  must  have  been  a  splendid  one  indeed  to 
satisfy  Mr.  Bakewell,  who  considered  him  a  prize,  "and  changed  his  sys- 
tem of  cross-breeding  to  that  of  breeding  in-and-in,  for  the  purpose  of  per- 
manently fixing  the  type,  which  he  succeeded  in  to  his  entire  satisfaction, 
by  making  selections  of  the  best  of  his  own  flock  to  breed  from,  carefully 
avoiding  hereditary  defects  and  diseases.  By  patience  and  perseverance 
his  theory  of  cross-breeding  and  close-breeding  became  so  well  known 
that  his  flock  of  Leicesters  soon  gained  a  world-wide  celebrity.  They 
were  resorted  to  for  the  purpose  of  improving  other  breeds.  The  improved 
Cotswold  is  a  cross  between  the  large,  coarse  Cotswold  and  the  Leicester, 
which  gave  the  Cotswold  a  better  form,  better  constitution,  and  finer 
wool.  The  Oxfordshire  is  a  cross  between  the  Southdown  and  the  Leices- 
ter, which  has  produced  a  sheep  having  the  color  of  face  and  legs  like  the 
Southdown,  and  the  size,  form  and  fleece  differing  but  little  from  the 
Leicester. 

In  Tennessee  to-day,  for  general  purposes,  the  Leicester  is  unsurpassed  r 
if  not  unequaled,  by  any  other  breed  of  sheep.  Compared  with  the  dif- 
ferent breeds  of  fine-wool  sheep,  they  are  larger  and  yield  more  wool> 
which  is  worth  more  per  pound.  Possessing  a  good  constitution,  they 
fatten  as  well  as  the  Southdown,  have  a  heavier  carcass,  a  heavier  fleece 
of  wool,  also  worth  more  per  pound.  They  are  not  so  large  as  the  mag- 
nificent Cotswold,  but  they  surpass  them  in  symmetry  of  form,  in  consti- 
tution, which  insures  to  them  long  life,  and  in  the  texture  of  fleece.  The 
ewes  are  good  breeders  and  good  nurses.  They  very  often  produce  twins, 
and  the  twins  grow  off'  as  well  as  the  single  lambs,  which  are  sought  for 

18 


[2741 

by  breeders  and  butchers  at  liberal  prices.  The  wool  has  been  sold  in  the 
Nashville  market  during  the  last  twelve  years  for  from  twenty-five  to 
sixty-five  cents  per  pound,  as  taken  from  the  sheep,  and  averaging  from 
six  to  eight  pounds  each  fleece,  and  in  some  individual  cases  as  high  as 
twelve  and  even  fifteen  pounds.  The  wool  is  strictly  combing  wool,  and 
is  used  by  manufacturers  in  making  the  finest  blankets  and  other  articles 
requiring  a  long,  fine  fibre.  Samples  of  this  wool  I  have  sent  you,  which 
you  have  seen  proper  to  speak  of  in  terms  perhaps  above  its  merits. 

Were  an  animal  painter  to  group  a  flock  of  Leicesters  on  canvas,  the 
heads  would  be  small  and  hornless,  the  ears  long,  the  legs  short  and 
small,  all  clean  of  wool  and  usually  of  a  dusky  tinge,  and  occasionally 
small  black  spots  on  them;  the  neck  small,  the  brisket  deep,  the  body 
long  and  round,  the  back  broad,  and  the  hind  quarters  square.  Dressed 
in  their  winter  suit,  the  neck  is  well  protected  with  the  Elizabethan  ruffle, 
and  their  bodies  covered  with  a  soft  coat  of  long,  wavy,  combing  wool, 
which  the  March  winds  toss  about  like  billows. 


IMPROVED  KENTUCKY  SHEEP. 

BRED  BY  EGBERT  W.  SCOTT,  FKANKFORT,  KENTUCKY. 

In  the  communication  from  Mr.  Tom  Crutchfield,  he 
speaks  of  crossing  his  flock  with  a  buck  bred  by  Mr.  Rob- 
ert W.  Scott,  of  Frankfort,  Kentucky,  and  of  the  beneficial 
effects  derived  from  this  cross.  It  occurred  to  me  that  this 
now  famous  breed  merits  more  attention  than  it  has  received 
from  the  stock-breeders  of  Tennessee.  I  therefore  wrote 
to  Mr.  Scott  to  give  me  a  history  and  description  of  his 
flock.  In  compliance  with  my  request  he  very  kindly  for- 
warded to  me  the  following  essay,  in  which  the  intelligent 
breeder  will  perceive  that  Mr.  Scott  has  exercised  unusual 


[2751 

skill  in  breeding,  and  has  taken  infinite  pains  to  give  his 
flock  all  the  qualities  to  be  desired  in  sheep  for  this  lati- 
tude: 

The  sheep  which  are  called  "native,"  or  "common,"  in  the  West,  are  a 
hardy  and  prolific  variety;  but  they  are  deficient  in  size,  in  thrift,  and  in 
fleece.  Though  the  general  diffusion  of  them  proves  their  adaptation  to 
the  circumstances  in  which  they  are  placed,  yet  it  is  well  known  that  the 
tendency  which  all  animals  have  to  adapt  themselves  to  climate  and  sub- 
sistence may  be  materially  modified  and  controlled  by  judicious  crossing, 
and  that  the  improvement  made  by  these  crosses  becomes  permanent,  and 
thereby  stamps  distinct  varieties  of  the  same  class  of  animals.  Chiefly 
by  these  influences  (crosses,  climate,  and  subsistence)  the  Bakewell,  Ox- 
fordshire, Saxony,  and  other  varieties  of  sheep,  have  been  produced ;  and 
their  distinctive  features,  in  congenial  localities,  are  as  indelible  as  those 
of  the  stocks  from  which  they  were  produced.  In  the  same  manner,  no 
doubt,  still  other  varieties  may  be  produced ;  nor  does  there  appear  to  be 
any  insuperable  difficulty  in  blending,  in  the  same  animal,  any  number 
of  valuable  qualities  which  are  not  actually  antagonistic  to  each  other. 
These  principles  extend  even  to  points  of  fancy  merely.  For  example, 
some  breeds  of  sheep  are  hornless,  while  others  have  two,  others  three,  and 
others  still  have  four  horns.  The  Syrian  shepherd  delights  in  a  breed 
whose  tails  are  so  long  and  fat  that  wheels  are  required  on  which  to  draw 
them  over  the  pastures;  but  we  prefer  sheep  with  short  tails,  and  per- 
haps a  breed  might  be  produced  as  destitute  of  them  as  are  dogs  of  some 
breeds. 

There  are  other  valuable  considerations  which  make  the  frequent  cross- 
ing of  sheep  desirable,  if  not  indispensable.  Dr.  D.  H.  Dadd,  in  his  Amer- 
ican Cattle  Doctor,  page  248,  says:  "It  is  now  a  well-ascertained  fact 
that  health  and  vigor  can  only  be  perpetuated  by  not  running  too  long  on 
the  same  blood.  The  best  variety  of  sheep  I  have  ever  known  (putting 
fineness  of  fleece  aside)  was  the  mixed  Bakewell  and  Southdown."  Sir 
Robert  Smith,  in  his  prize  essay  for  the  English  Royal  Agricultural  So- 
ciety, says :  "  Having  tried  experiments  in  every  possible  way,  I  do  not 
hesitate  to  express  my  opinion  that,  by  proper  and  judicious  crossing 
through  several  generations,  a  most  valuable  breed  of  sheep  may  be  raised 
and  established." 

The  tendency  of  all  improved  breeds  of  all  domestic  animals  to  relapse 
to  their  original  status  when  they  are  neglected  or  abused,  is  no  proper 
discouragement  to  this  course  of  improvement;  for  such  a  policy  would 
condemn  the  adoption  of  all  our  best  breeds  of  horses,  cattle,  sheep  and 
hogs;  for  all  have  been  produced  by  careful  and  judicious  crossing  and 
selection,  and  all  improvements  in  stock  can  be  fully  maintained  only  by 
a  reasonable  share  of  the  same  care  and  judgment  by  which  the  improve- 
ment was  originally  effected. 


[276] 

None  of  the  previously  existing  breeds  seemed  to  possess  all  the  require- 
ments of  sheep  for  the  great  West  and  South;  the  native  sheep  were  infe- 
rior in  carcass  and  in  fleece;  the  Cotswolds  were  too  delicate,  especially 
when  young,  and  their  fleeces  too  open,  to  bear  exposure  to  our  wet  sea- 
sons; the  fleece  of  the  Southdown  was  too  short,  and  the  Merino  was  too 
small.  Acting  on  these  impressions,  the  writer  has  perseveringly  endeav- 
ored, for  over  forty-six  years,  to  combine  in  the  same  animal  the  hardiness 
and  prolific  quality  of  the  native  sheep,  the  size  and  the  weight  of  fleece 
of  the  Cotswold,  and  the  symmetry  of  form  and  delicacy  of  mutton  of  the 
Southdown  ;  and  also  to  combine  in  the  same  fleeces  the  weight  and  length 
of  the  Cotswold,  with  the  thickness  and  softness  of  the  Merino.  My  suc- 
cess has  been  so  great,  and  the  sale  and  difl'usion  of  the  sheep  have  been 
so  wide,  that  I  am  gratified  at  having  been  able  to  give,  through  the  pop- 
ular Eeport  of  the  Agricultural  Department  for  1865,  the  following  his- 
tory of  the  improvement: 

In  the  beginning,  in  1834,  about  thirty  ewes  were  selected  from  a  flock 
of  unimproved  common  or  native  sheep,  and  they  were  bred  to  a  very 
large  and  fine  Saxony  or  Merino  ram,  the  object  being  to  give,  in  the  off- 
spring, more  thickness  to  the  fleece  and  more  fineness  to  the  fibre  of  the 
wool.  This  step  was  thought  advisable  before  uniting  the  coarse  fleeces 
of  the  native  sheep  with  the  coarse  and  still  more  open  fleeces  of  the  large 
imported  varieties,  and  the  effect  was  satisfactory.  The  ewe  lambs  of  this 
cross  were  bred,  on  the  first  of  October  after  they  were  one  year  old,  to  an 
imported  Bakewell  buck,  of  large,  full,  round  carcass,  and  a  heavy  fleece 
of  long  wool.  The  ewe  lambs  of  this  latter  cross  were  also,  in  due  time, 
bred  to  an  imported  Southdown  buck,  of  large  size  and  high  form,  the 
object  now  being  to  infuse  into  the  progeny  that  active,  sprightly  and 
thrifty  disposition,  and  highly  flavored  and  beautifully  marbled  mutton, 
for  which  the  Southdowns  are  so  justly  celebrated.  This  object  was  also 
successfully  attained.  The  wethers  of  this  cross  were  the  delight  of  the 
epicure,  while  the  value  of  the  fleece  was  not  diminished,  as  much  being 
gained  by  increasing  the  number  of  fibres  to  the  square  inch  as  was  lost 
in  the  length  of  them. 

The  next  cross  was  made  by  a  ram  which  possessed,  in  combination, 
many  of  the  good  qualities  which  it  was  desired  to  perpetuate  in  the  flock. 
He  was  three-fourths  Cotswold  and  one-fourth  Southdown ;  a  large,  hardy, 
active  sheep,  with  a  thick  and  heavy  fleece,  and  his  progeny  possessed  the 
same  qualities  in  an  eminent  degree.  The  two  next  crosses  were  made  by 
pure-blood  Cotswolds ;  and  the  next  by  a  very  fine  full-blood  Oxfordshire 
ram  of  remarkable  softness  and  silkiness  of  fleece.  They  were  all  animals 
with  short  necks,  round  barrels,  broad  backs,  and  full  briskets.  They 
added  to  the  flock  still  more  weight  of  carcass  and  fleece ;  while  the  tex- 
ture of  the  latter  and  the  delicate  flavor  of  the  former  were  not  percepti- 
bly impaired,  and  therefore,  in  the  next  fall — of  1853 — the  flock  was 
divided  between  two  fine  full-blood  Cotswolds. 


[277] 

Every  one  of  these  crosses  was  perceptible  in  the  flock  (blended,  but 
still  manifest),  in  the  character  and  habits,  as  well  as  in  the  carcass  and 
in  the  fleece;  but  in  some  a  particular  cross  predominated,  which  was 
naturally  to  be  expected,  on  account  of  the  recentness  of  the  improve- 
ment. In  order  to  obliterate  these  discrepancies,  and  to  produce  more 
complete  uniformity  in  the  flock,  it  was  bred,  in  1854,  to  five  select  rams 
of  my  own  breeding.  The  progeny  showed  a  reasonable  accomplishment 
of  the  object;  and  though  there  was  some  variation  in  their  carcasses  and 
fleeces,  still  they  were  in  all  respects  beautiful  and  valuable  animals  of 
their  kind. 

In  the  fall  of  1855,  in  order  to  carry  out  the  same  design,  I  bred  chiefly 
to  a  mixed-blood  ram,  whose  pedigree  showed  Cotswold,  Oxfordshire,  Tees- 
water,  and  Southdown  blood.  He  was  a  highly  formed  and  finely  finished 
sheep,  of  large  size,  and  a  thick  fleece  of  medium  length  and  fineness  of 
fibre,  and  his  lambs  possessed  great  beauty  and  value. 

In  1856  I  bred  chiefly  to  a  large  and  fine  Cotswold,  and  in  1857  to  him 
and  to  a  ram  of  mixed  blood,  the  ewes  being  so  selected  and  bred  as  to 
produce  a  more  complete  uniformity  in  the  progeny- -those  having  a  pre- 
dominance of  Southdown  and  Merino  being  bred  to  the  Cotswold,  and 
those  having  a  predominance  of  Cotswold  qualities  being  bred  to  the 
mixed-blood  ram.  In  1858  two  large  and  fine  rams  of  my  own  breeding 
were  used  in  the  same  manner,  and  for  the  same  objects  chiefly,  viz.,  to 
give  uniformity  and  stability  to  the  flock.  A  few  ewes  were  also  bred,  in 
1858,  to  a  very  fine  mixed-blood  ram,  which  was  a  perfect  model  of  sym- 
metry, and  which  had  taken  a  premium  at  the  State  fair  in  Louisville  in 
that  year.  In  October,  1857,  the  flock  of  about  one  hundred  ewes  was 
again  selected,  and  bred  with  a  view  to  the  same  object,  about  one-half 
being  bred  to  the  above  premium  animal,  and  the  remainder  to  a  fine 
"  Improved  Kentucky"  sheep,  which  had  a  fleece  of  remarkable  length, 
fineness  of  fibre,  and  was  of  good  size  and  fine  form. 

By  this  time  these  sheep  were  as  essentially  alike  and  uniform,  main- 
tained their  identity  and  imparted  their  qualities  as  surely,  as  sheep  of 
any  other  breed.  They  had  been  exhibited  with  success  at  many  State 
and  county  fairs,  and  had  been  sold  and  sent  to  almost  every  State  in  the 
West  and  South,  even  to  California;  and  all  which  I  could  raise  from  a 
flock  of  about  one  hundred  ewes  found  ready  sale  at  the  uniform  price  of 
thirty  dollars  for  those  one  year  old  and  under.  A  lot  of  these  sheep  was 
exhibited  at  the  fair  of  the  Kentucky  State  Agricultural  Society  in  Paris 
in  1856,  and  again  at  the  fair  of  the  United  States  Agricultural  Society  in 
Louisville  in  1857,  and  at  each  a  special  premium  was  awarded  them. 

Since  1860,  well  selected  rams  of  my  own  breeding,  and  those  of  Leices- 
ter and  of  Cotswold  blood,  have  been  used  in  such  manner  as  to  impart 
some  valuable  qualities  either  to  the  fleece  or  the  carcass,  or  to  the  con- 
stitution of  the  progeny,  pure  Cots  wolds,  superior  in  form  and  size  and 
fleece,  being  used. 


[278] 


ADAPTATION  TO  THE  CLIMATE  AND  SUBSISTENCE  OF  THE  WEST  AND  SOUTH. 

In  a  country  which  is  comparatively  new,  and  in  which  stock-raising  is 
conducted  on  an  extensive  scale,  housing  in  winter  is  necessarily  expen- 
sive and  troublesome,  and  it  is  impracticable  except  with  those  animals 
which  are  very  valuable  and  very  delicate.  Hence  the  necessity  that 
sheep,  which  are  generally  regarded  as  of  inferior  importance,  should  be 
capable  of  self-protection,  as  far  as  is  possible.  Indeed,  it  is  doubtful 
whether  any  breed  of  sheep  which  requires  housing  in  winter  can  become 
a  generally  popular  and  practically  successful  breed  in  the  West  and 
South.  Living  at  all  times  in  the  open  air,  their  subsistence  must  be  of 
such  a  character  that  they  can  gather  it  at  all  times  for  themselves,  or 
which  can  be  given  them  at  but  little  expense  or  trouble.  Climate  and 
subsistence  are  both  known  to  have  material  influence  even  on  the  fleeces 
of  the  sheep;  and  so  much  does  the  character  of  the  food  affect  the  qual- 
ity of  the  wool,  that  the  same  individual,  by  a  change  of  food,  may  be 
made  to  produce,  at  different  shearings,  wool  of  widely  varied  quality  and 
value.  Luxuriant  and  coarse  vegetation,  grown  on  limestone  soils,  is 
more  favorable  to  the  growth  of  longer  and  coarser  wool ;  but  this  ten- 
dency may  be  qualified  by  judicious  crossing,  and  the  growth  of  fine  wool 
in  the  West  must  be  sustained  by  an  occasional  infusion  of  fresh  blood 
from  the  more  congenial  flocks  of  Andalusia,  Saxony,  or  New  England,. 
and  thus  a  superior  article  of  medium  wool  may  be  produced. 

The  "Improved  Kentucky"  sheep  (that  is  the  name  by  Avhieh  they 
have  been  long  and  widely  known)  have  always  faced  the  bleakest  win- 
ters and  the  hottest  and  driest  summers  without  any  protection,  except 
that  which  nature  has  given  them,  and  yet  they  have  been  almost  entirely 
free  from  all  disease,  especially  from  the  coughs  which  often,  in  winter, 
affect  sheep;  and  they  have  been  equally  free  from  the  snuffies  and  foot- 
rot,  which  have  been  so  fatal  to  other  breeds.  In  springs,  winters  and 
summers  of  excessive  rains,  clothed  to  the  knees  and  to  the  ears  by  a  thick, 
long,  and  impenetrable  fleece,  they  bid  defiance  to  the  wind,  rain,  and 
snow,  and  seem  at  all  times  to  be  comfortable  and  sprightly.  In  summer 
they  are  changed  from  pasture  to  pasture,  and  devour  almost  every  green 
weed.  In  winter,  short  grass  is  all  they  require;  and  if  that  cannot  be 
afforded  them,  they  will  take  their  corn-fodder  with  the  cattle,  and  thrive 
well  upon  it,  though  at  lambing  time,  like  other  sheep,  they  require  a 
more  succulent  diet.  My  stock  sheep  have  never  been  fed  with  grain  at 
any  time,  and  when  in  winter  they  have  been  admitted  to  a  hay-stack, 
they  have  seemed  to  prefer  the  corn-fodder. 

THEIR  THRIFTY  AND  PROLIFIC  CHARACTER,  AND  THEIR  SIZE. 

In  the  month  of  August  or  September,  in  each  year,  any  aged,  inferior, 
or  declining  ewes  are  taken  from  the  flock ;  and  on  being  separated  from 
their  lambs  and  put  on  good  grass,  they  soon  make  excellent  mutton. 


[279] 

Only  the  most  healthy,  finely-formed,  and  well-wooled  ewes  are  kept  as 
breeders;  and  the  utmost  care  has  been  taken,  and  no  reasonable  expense 
has  been  spared,  to  secure  rams  to  breed  to  them  of  a  similar  character, 
and  which  would  impart  some  superior  qualities  to  the  flock;  and  no  ram 
has  ever  been  used  with  any,  even  the  slightest,  taint  of  disease  upon  him. 
In  this  manner,  and  by  frequent  crosses  with  animals  which  were  not 
even  remotely  related  to  each  other  (except  in  the  cases  and  for  the  pur- 
poses above  stated),  and  also  by  crossing  with  rams  of  different  bree'ds* 
without  making  violent  crosses,  a  degree  of  health  and  vigor  has  been  in- 
fused into  this  breed  which,  I  feel  assured,  is  not  surpassed,  if  indeed  it  is 
equaled,  in  any  other.  So  great  is  their  tendency  to  take  on  flesh  and  fat» 
that  ewes  which  lose  their  lambs  not  unfrequently  become,  on  grass 
alone,  too  fat  to  breed;  and  in  several  instances  I  have  seen  fully  three 
inches  of  fat  on  the  ribs,  after  being  dressed  for  mutton,  though  fed  on 
grass  only. 

As  to  their  prolific  character,  native  ewes,  under  favorable  circum- 
stances, very  frequently,  if  not  most  commonly,  have  twins,  and  being 
good  nurses,  generally  raise  them  well.  Notwithstanding  the  accidents 
to  which  they  are  liable  in  the  absence  of  a  regular  shepherd,  and  despite 
the  rigors  of  winter  endured  without  shelter,  I  have  often,  when  the  flock 
of  this  breed  of  sheep  was  smaller  than  at  present,  raised  one-third  more 
lambs  than  there  were  ewes,  and  have  rarely  failed  to  raise  as  many 
lambs  as  ewes  even  under  unfavorable  circumstances. 

As  it  is  not  desirable,  for  many  reasons,  that  sheep  should  have  the  size 
of  bullocks,  other  valuable  qualities  have  not  been  sacrificed  to  obtain  a 
large  carcass  alone.  Perhaps  they  are  now  fully  as  large  as  is  compati- 
ble with  that  activity  of  habit  which  is  indispensable  to  a  breed  which 
shall  come  into  general  use  in  the  West  and  South.  Larger  and  less  ac- 
tive animals  will  always  be  more  liable  to  the  sheep-bot,  and  to  the  dep- 
redations of  dogs,  their  flesh  will  be  less  captivating  both  to  the  eye  and 
to  the  palate,  and  the  animals  will  be  less  capable  of  roaming  in  quest  of 
food  and  water  over  large  pastures  and  prairies. 

None  of  these  sheep  have  ever  been  fully  fatted,  and  their  weights  care- 
fully noted,  within  my  knowledge;  but  a  few  years  since,  I  sold  sixteen 
wethers  of  this  breed  to  a  sheep-dealer  and  farmer,  at  fifteen  dollars  per 
head,  and  he  wrote  me:  "I  sold  them  at  twenty-five  dollars  per  head, 
and  the  person  I  sold  them  to  did  well  with  them.  They  took  the  pre- 
mium over  a  fine  lot  of  Cotswold  wethers.  I  consider  them  better  than 
the  Cotswold  for  mutton  and  wool,  and  think  they  feed  more  kindly  than 
any  sheep  I  ever  saw.  They  were  pronounced  by  all,  the  best  sheep  in 
the  market."  I  extract  from  my  sheep  register  the  following  weights  of 
some  of  them  taken  in  the  month  of  August:  A  yearling  ram,  174  pounds; 
a  two  year  old  ram  never  shorn,  224  pounds;  a  grown  ewe,  162  pounds; 
a  ewe  lamb,  114  pounds;  all  weighed  off  of  grass,  without  extra  keeping 
of  any  kind. 


[280] 


WEIGHT   AND    CHARACTER    OF    THEIR    FLEECES. 

The  fleeces  of  these  sheep  vary  from  eight  to  fifteen,  and  in  one  instance 
seventeen  and  a  half  pounds,  the  whole  flock  of  over  one  hundred  breed- 
ing ewes  having  averaged  over  eight  pounds  of  merchantable  wool,  free 
from  burs,  tags,  etc. ;  and  though  not  washed  on  the  sheep's  back,  still 
clean  enough  for  domestic  manufacture.  Though  the  fleeces  of  these 
sheep  (like  those  of  all  other  breeds)  are  not  perfectly  uniform  as  to 
length,  thickness,  and  fineness  of  fibre,  still  there  is  a  general  uniformity, 
and  the  diversity  is  of  no  practical  disadvantage.  Their  wool  is  longer 
than  that  of  any  sheep,  except  those  of  the  Cotswold  family,  and  is  equal 
in  length  to  that  of  many  individuals  of  that  family,  while  it  greatly  ex- 
cels the  wool  of  the  Cotswold  in  fineness  and  softness  of  fibre,  and  in  the 
number  of  fibres  to  the  square  inch  on  the  sheep's  back.  In  some  indi- 
viduals it  is  wavy  or  curly,  but  it  is  never  harsh  or  wiry.  Except  the 
face  and  the  legs  below  the  knees,  the  whole  body  is  covered  with  a  close 
and  compact  fleece,  which,  when  full  grown,  leaves  no  open  line  on  the 
back,  as  with  the  Cotswold,  but  gives  a  perfect  protection  to  the  sheep, 
and  causes  them  to  present  a  smooth,  handsome,  and  portly  appearance. 
Their  fleeces  have  enough  of  grease  and  gum  to  preserve  the  softness  and 
vitality  of  the  fibres,  even  to  their  ends,  but  not  so  much  as  to  give  the 
sheep  a  dark  and  dirty  appearance.  Their  wool  receives  domestic  dyes 
without  any  washing  whatever,  is  easily  cleaned  on  the  sheep's  back,  and 
when  it  is  washed  in  soft  water,  with  soap,  it  readily  becomes  very  white, 
receives  chemical  dyes,  and  preserves  its  lustre  perfectly.  It  has  gener- 
ally commanded  from  three  to  five  cents  per  pound  more  than  any  other 
best  combing  wool  in  the  markets  of  the  vicinity ;  and  I  desire  to  refer  to 
the  opinions  of  several  extensive  and  intelligent  manufacturers  who  have 
bought  it  frequently.  Mr.  L.  C.  Stedman,  of  Georgetown,  says:  "As  re- 
gards the  wool  of  your  sheep,  I  think  very  highly  of  it,  being  strong  and 
well  adapted  to  our  use  for  domestic  purposes;  cards  and  spins  well,  and 
makes  a  good  strong  fabric."  Mr.  J.  W.  Martin,  of  Midway,  says:  "It  is 
in  all  respects  superior  wool,  and  peculiarly  adapted  to  the  manufacture 
of  jeans  and  linseys,  and  we  have  paid  more  per  pound  for  it  than  for  any 
other  wool."  Mr.  S.  L.  Brownell  (an  extensive  and  experienced  manu- 
facturer of  Louisville)  says:  "I  noticed  particularly  its  working  qualities, 
and  believe  that  no  cross  of  wool  could  be  effected  that  would  improve 
its  working  character.  It  seems  to  have  length,  strength,  and  texture, 
and  at  the  same  time  firmness,  fineness,  and  softness  of  staple,  which 
render  it  peculiarly  adapted  to  Southern  and  Western  manufacture  and 
wear." 

Mr.  Joseph  Gorbut,  of  Woodford  county,  says :  "  I  can  and  do  with 
pleasure  say,  that  we  prefer  the  wool  of  your  'Improved  Kentucky'  sheep 
to  that  of  any  other  we  have  ever  used.  When  we  take  into  consideration 
the  fineness  of  the  texture,  the  length  and  evenness  of  the  staple,  the 


[281] 

weight  of  the  fleece,  its  clearness  of  gum  (losing  less  in  scouring  than  any 
other  of  any  kind),  we  can  say  that  we  prefer  the  wool  purchased  of  you 
to  any  other  we  use;  and  in  consequence  have  for  years  recommended 
our  customers  to  supply  themselves  with  your  'Improved  Kentucky' 
sheep." 


LETTER  FROM  HENRY  STEWART. 

AUTHOR  OF  "THE  SHEPHERD'S  MANUAL." 

A  gentleman  of  prominence,  residing  in  Nashville,  has 
for  several  years  been  studying  the  capabilities  of  the  moun- 
tainous regions  of  East  Tennessee  with  a  view  of  ultimate- 
ly engaging  in  sheep  husbandry  there  should  his  investiga- 
tions prove  satisfactory.  He  recently  addressed  a  letter  to 
Mr.  Henry  Stewart,  asking  for  some  specific  directions  as 
to  the  management  and  care  of  a  flock  in  that  region.  Mr. 
Stewart  replied  at  some  length,  and  his  suggestions  are  so 
practical  that  the  gentleman  has  kindly  placed  the  letter  at 
my  disposal,  which  I  subjoin,  believing  that  the  informa- 
tion contained  therein  will  be  of  benefit  to  those  contem- 
plating going  into  sheep  raising  in  the  mountainous  regions  : 

WESTWOOD,  N.  J.,  Feb.  28,  1880. 

My  Dear  Sir — I  have  to  apologize  for  keeping  you  waiting  so  long,  but 
I  have  been  so  busy  the  past  week  or  two  that  I  have  scarcely  known  how 
to  turn  around.  So  many  people  write  me  on  similar  subjects,  and  my 
editorial  duties,  together  Avith  my  farm  here,  on  to  which  I  have  removed 
the  past  week,  keep  me  going  day  and  night. 

I  have  given  your  letter  close  consideration,  and  reply  in  detail  as  you 
request.  I  know  of  no  better  sheep  country  in  the  world  than  the  one 
you  refer  to.  The  Western  plains  are  excellent,  but  my  flock  of  over 
5,000,  which  I  have  there  now,  requires  about  400  square  miles  of  range 
to  feed  on.  On  the  contrary  I  have  seen  tracts  of  pasturage  in  East  Ten- 


[282] 

i  lessee  and  Western  North  Carolina,  on  the  table  lands,  that  will  feed  twa 
or  three  sheep  to  the  acre  by  keeping  a  winter  pasture  of  blue  or  native 
grasses  untouched  from  August  for  the  flock.  The  soil,  water  and  cli- 
mate are  all  that  can  be  wished,  and  if  you  proceed  with  caution,  and  at 
first  get  experience,  and  don't  hope  to  make  money  the  first  year,  I  have 
no  doubt  of  your  success.  Your  plan  is  sound,  and  I  am  sure  you  have, 
as  you  say,  studied  my  little  book  with  profit.  I  would  get  100  or  200 
native  ewes,  pick  out  those  with  neat  heads,  deep  flanks,  the  broadst  backs, 
shortest  necks,  and  not  too  leggy.  These  will  be  easy  feeders,  and  more 
gentle  to  control  than  the  deer-legged  and  thin-backed  ones,  which  are 
restless  creatures.  You  can  as  easily  manage  200  as  100,  and  the  expense 
of  management  will  be  halved.  If  you  can  find  any  with  brown  or 
spotted  faces,  choose  those,  and  take  ewes  with  fleeces  free  from  coarse 
hair  on  their  buttocks  and  shoulders.  These  are  apt  to  convey  a  bad 
quality  of  wool  to  the  lambs;  these  hairs  are  called  '•  kemp,"  and  depre- 
ciate the  price  of  the  wool,  being  also  hard  to  breed  out.  You  should 
have  a  good  man  to  help  you,  but  you  will  probably  be  able  to  pick  up  a 
boy  cheaply  near  you  who  is  accustomed  to  keeping  his  father's  flock,  and 
will  be  more  apt  and  less  fussy  than  an  English  shepherd.  These  require 
two  or  three  years  to  lose  old  notions  and  take  on  our  ways,  and  are  very 
obstinate  besides.  I  have  a  Pennsylvania  man  with  my  flock  in  Kansas, 
whom  I  trained  in  this  way  when  living  in  Pennsylvania  some  years  ago, 
and  he  is  now  able  to  go  along  alone,  working  my  flock  on  shares.  You 
should  not  have  lambs  until  the  weather  is  warm,  and  there  is  good  grass. 
April  would  perhaps  be  the  best  time,  but  you  could  do  an  excellent  busi- 
ness in  raising  early  lambs  for  Washington  market  possibly  by  having 
some  come  in  February,  or  sooner  even.  All  that  you  would  need 
would  be  some  cheap  shed  and  a  yard  for  shelter  for  the  dams.  I 
will  gladly  post  you  on  this  subject  when  you  wish.  You  are  near  enough 
to  markets  to  raise  mutton  and  wool  both,  and  a  half-bred  Merino  is  not  a 
bad  mutton  either. 

The  run  now  is  for  combing  wool,  that  is  Merino  wool  three  inches  or 
two  and  a  half  in  length,  for  manufacturers  have  begun  to  comb  even 
Merino  wool,  and  the  half-bred  is  called  delaine  wool,  and  brings  the 
highest  price  in  the  market  Choose  rams  with  wool  three  inches  long 
when  spread  out,  fine  and  well  curled,  and  with  plenty  of  yolk,  but  not 
too  much  wrinkled,  also  with  deep  sides,  and  with  wool  on  the  legs  and 
bellies,  also  on  the  heads  and  faces.  The  weight  should  be  be  at  least  120 
pounds.  These  are  now  the  profitable  kind.  The  Cockrills  should  be 
able  to  furnish  you  with  these.  When  you  get  fully  into  your  business, 
you  can  pick  out  such  a  ram  as  you  would  like. 

All  the  shelter  you  will  want  is  a  few  rough  sheds  to  preserve  from 
rain  and  snow.  A  piece  of  woodland  with  serve-pole  and  thatched  sheds, 
that  you  and  your  man  can  make,  will  be  amply  sufficient.  It  would  be 
safe,  and  perhaps  necessary,  to  grow  about  one  bushel  of  corn  per  head 


[283  ] 

for  your  flock,  and  get  in  about  fifty  or  one  hundred  pounds  of  hay  per 
head  as  well,  in  stacks  near  where  you  keep  the  sheep.  A  run  in  a  corn 
stubble  with  half  a  pint  of  corn  (one  ear)  for  each  sheep  per  day,  and 
some  hay  ought  to  keep  them  in  good  order.  But  you  can  get  a  fine  win- 
ter pasture  by  seeding  down  some  open  sheltered  woodland  with  orchard 
and 'blue  grass,  one-half  bushel  of  each  per  acre.  Cut  the  hay  in  June, 
and  let  it  grow  up  without  feeding  until  other  ground  is  bare.  The  sheep 
may  go  into  green  grass  to  their  bellies  in  this  way  in  November  and 
later,  and  feed  well  until  spring.  They  will  even  get  enough  feed  when 
grass  is  covered  with  snow  by  pawing  the  grass  clear  for  themselves.  The 
corn  and  hay  are  only  for  emergencies,  but  I  would  feed  half  a  pint  of 
corn  anyhow ;  you  will  get  it  back  in  the  wool. 

Success  in  sheep-keeping  is  gained  by  constant  observation,  and  the  in- 
stant reparation  of  any  thing  that  is  going  wrong.  The  chief  things  to 
avoid  are  damp  pastures,  stagnant  water,  banks  of  streams,  too  much 
shelter;  and  the  chief  needs  are  pure  spring  water,  dry  soil,  and  pure, 
fresh,  cool  air.  With  these  requisites  and  protection  from  dogs  (a  shot- 
gun and  a  bottle  of  strychnine,  quietly  used  where  it  will  do  the  most  good, 
will  do  for  the  dogs),  you  should  succeed  without  doubt,  and  if  even  you 
fail  wholly  the  first  year,  it  will  be  the  way  to  success  the  next.  Increase 
the  flock  cautiously;  buy  young  ewes  with  good  teeth  and  good  fleeces;  use 
very  few  medicines,  give  salt  regularly ;  don't  coddle  lambs  or  ewes  ;  make 
them  tame  and  friendly  with  you,  so  that  they  will  follow  you  and  put 
their  noses  in  your  hands,  and  you  can  do  any  thing  with  them. 

"  The  good  shepherd  loves  his  sheep,  and  they  follow  him  ; "  this  is 
true  now  as  ever.  Lastly,  don't  invest  more  than  a  fourth  of  your  capital 
to  begin  with,  salt  away  the  balance,  and  the  second  year  begin  to  use  it, 
as  you  can  see  clearly  to  do  so. 

If  any  points  need  further  elucidation,  write  again.  In  this  business 
any  time  is  good  to  begin.  If  you  begin  in  the  fall  you  have  to  buy  feed; 
if  in  the  spring  you  can  raise  it. 


[284] 


WOOL  AND  MUTTON. 

Mr.  James  Geddes,  of  New  York,  has  recently  written 
the  following  interesting  communication,  which  we  find 
going  the  rounds  of  the  press.  There  are  many  facts  de- 
tailed in  this  letter  to  which  our  farmers  may  wish  to  refer 
in  the  future : 

In  1836  our  production  of  wool  was  12,000,000  pounds;  in  1860  it  had 
increased  to  60,000,000.  The  extra  demand  for  cloth  occasioned  by  the 
war,  and  the  protective  tariff,  so  stimulated  this  industry  that,  according 
to  the  estimates  made  at  Washington  in  1867,  the  annual  production  had 
risen  to  $147,000,000  pounds,  and  in  1877  to  208,000,000,  that  is  from  1860 
to  1877,  inclusive,  the  increase  was  at  the  rate  of  246  per  cent,  while  in 
the  preceding  twenty-four  years,  the  increase  was  about  40  per  cent.  Since 
1836  the  number  of  sheep  in  the  old  States  has  constantly  declined,  and 
they  have  now  less  than  one- half  the  number  they  had  then.  The  in- 
crease in  the  new  States  and  Territories  has  compensated  for  this.  In 
1862  Hollister  &  Dibbles  took  400  pure  Mercer  ewes  to  California  ;  since 
then  the  production  of  wool  in  that  State  has  reached  54,000,000  pounds 
in  one  year.  Texas,  which  in  1845  had  only  native  Mexican  sheep,  by 
infusing  Merino  blood,  has  raised  its  flocks  until  they  number  4,000,000 
of  animals  producing  wool,  much  of  it  equaling  the  wool  of  Ohio.  The 
traditional  Southern  hatred  of  sheep,  as  expressed  by  John  Kandolph, 
must  be  dying  out  when  such  men  as  Alexander  H.  Stephens  and  Senator 
Gordon,  have  embarked  in  the  business  of  wool  growing. 

Since  1809  our  improvement  in  the  sheep  that  produce  clothing  (fine) 
wool  has  been  very  great.  Then  9  J  per  cent,  of  unwashed  wool  to  the 
live  weight  of  the  animal  was  the  standard ;  in  1865  the  best  recorded 
yield  was  21  per  cent.,  and  the  heaviest  fleece  27  pounds.  Three  rams 
bred  since  1873  in  Vermont  have  yielded  fleeces  averaging  26.3  per  cent, 
of  unwashed  wool,  while  the  average  weight  of  the  fleeces  was  34J  pounds. 
The  fineness  of  the  fibre  equalled  that  of  the  Saxon  super-electa.  Breed- 
ers of  Australia  and  South  America  are  importing  these  animals  to  im- 
prove their  flocks.  The  Secretary  of  the  National  Wool  Growers'  Asso- 
ciation has  lately  taken  200  of  our  sheep  to  Japan  for  the  government  of 
that  country.  We  have  made  equal  progress  in  the  production  of  long- 
combing  wool,  or  mutton-sheep  husbandry.  In  1860  a  very  little  long- 
combing  wool  was  raised  in  Kentucky  and  Maryland,  but  the  proprietors 
of  our  worsted  mills  had  to  go  away  from  home,  chiefly  to  Canada,  for 
2,500,000  to  3,500,000  pounds  annually,  the  impression  then  being  general 
that  these  wools  could  not  be  grown  in  this  country.  Now  Ohio,  Penn- 
sylvania, Michigan,  Maine  and  other  States  are  producing,  it  is  estimated, 


[285  I 

10,000,000  pounds  annually — equal  in  quality  to  the  best  English  wool. 
Wool  yielded  by  cross-bred  Merino  and  mutton  sheep  is  held  by  the  man- 
ufacturer to  be  of  great  value,  producing  a  combing  wool  that  gives  soft- 
ness and  cloth-like  character  to  our  fabrics  not  found  in  those  abroad,  as 
admitted  by  the  best  London  and  Paris  tailors. 

We  are  now  raising  good  mutton  and  supplying  a  rapidly  increasing 
market.  In  1839,  on  the  great  market  day  before  Christmas,  400  sheep 
fully  stocked  the  market  at  Brighton,  near  Boston,  Mass.  Last  year 
272,000  sheep  and  lambs  were  slaughtered  at  the  Brighton  Abattoir, 
20,000  of  them  coming  from  Kentucky.  This  wonderful  advance  in  the 
production  of  mutton  and  wool  in  the  last  twenty  years  has  grown  out  of 
the  war  and  a  protective  tariff.  Mr.  McKean,  in  his  address  at  the  an- 
nual banquet  in  Philadelphia  last  fall,  of  the  National  Wool-Growers' 
Association  (to  whose  latest  Bulletin  I  cheerfully  acknowledge  obligation 
for  most  of  the  figures  of  this  article),  answered  the  question,  "What 
does  the  wool  come  to?"  by  saying  that  the  annual  product  of  the  wool 
manufacture  of  the  United  States  is  estimated  by  Mr.  Lorin  Blodget  as 
follows : 

The  six  New  England  States $127,500,000 

New  York,  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania  and  Delaware 98,340,000 

Twelve  Western  States  and  Utah 41,200,000 

Twelve  Southern  States    8,830,000 

Colorado,  Oregon  and  Washinton  Territory 7,250,000 

Total  $284,120,000 

Capital  employed  by  manufacturers  he  estimates  at  near  $300,000,000, 
giving  work  to  nearly  200,000  persons,  "  for  it  is  not  alone  the  mill  hands, 
but  the  workmen  who  make  the  repairs  and  renew  all  the  machinery,  the 
miners  who  get  out  the  hundreds  of  thousands  of  tons  of  coal  for  the 
engines,  the  teamsters  and  railway  men  who  carry  the  wool  to  the  mills 
and  the  manufactured  goods  to  the  market,  and  the  farmers  and  farm 
hands  and  herdsmen  who  raise  and  tend  the  sheep  and  clip  the  wool- 
There  is  no  end  to  the  ramifications."  He  goes  on  to  say  :  "  In  nearly  all 
staple  goods  for  wearing  apparel  our  mills  are  abreast  of  any  in  the 
world;  the  exceptions  are  the  foreign  goods,  which  some  wealthy  people 
still  have  a  weakness  for — like  the  family  that  bought  a  beautiful  Ax- 
minster  carpet  under  the  impression  that  it  was  a  French  moquette.  It 
was  a  great  pet  and  pride  in  their  house  until  they  saw  its  mate  at  the 
Centennial  among  American  carpets ;  then  they  were  disgusted.  Their 
beautiful  French  moquette  had  been  made  at  Smith's  mills,  at  Yonkers, 
where  they  weave  as  much  Axminster  every  year  as  they  do  in  all  France, 
and  more  than  they  do  in  Great  Britain." 

The  improvement  of  American  machinery  for  manufacturing  wool  into 
the  most  desirable  fabrics  deserves  attention.  The  power  looms  that  now 


[286] 

weave  carpets  had  no  existence  when  Mr.  Bigelow  first  entered  upon  his 
career  as  an  inventor;  only  plain  fabrics,  of  comparatively  simple  figures, 
were  woven  on  power  looms,  and  "  he  put  in  operation  the  first  successful 
power  loom  known  in  the  industrial  art  of  weaving  coach-lace,  wire-cloth, 
ingrain  carpets,  tapestry  carpets,  Brussels  and  Wilton  carpets,  and  silk 
brocatel."  On  the  latest  of  his  looms  one  operative  has  woven  73  yards 
of  Brussels  carpet  in  ten  hours,  and  50  yards  is  an  ordinary  day's  work. 
On  hand  looms  the  weaving  of  brocatel  costs  in  Lyons  60  cents  per  yard ; 
on  power  looms  in  Connecticut  it  costs  but  15  cents. 

The  cheapening  of  carpets  by  the  inventions  of  Americans  may  be 
stated  as  follows : 

"By  the  power  loom  one  woman  in  a  given  time  will  weave  as  many 
yards  of  ingrain  as  four  men  by  hand  ;  as  many  yards  of  tapestry  as  six 
men  by  hand  loom ;  and  as  many  yards  of  Brussels  carpeting  as  ten  men 
and  ten  boys  by  the  hand  loom." 

The  result  of  these  and  other  improvements  in  machinery  is  a  great 
fall  in  prices  as  well  as  improvement  in  quality.  By  the  books  of  lead- 
ing mills  it  appears  that  in  ingrain  carpets  "  prices  of  1879  are  12J  per 
oent.  less  than  in  1860,  higher  prices  for  labor  then  being  paid  in  1879  than 
in  1860,  the  prices  for  wool  being  about  the  same.  In  dress  goods  the 
prices  have  fallen  off'  25  per  cent."  John  and  James  Dobson,  of  Phila- 
delphia, manufacture  30,000  pounds  of  wool  every  working  day,  and 
Philadelphia  has  become  the  largest  wool  manufacturing  city  in  the 
world.  Eighty  per  cent,  of  the  wool  now  manufactured  in  this  country 
is  produced  by  our  own  flocks,  and  soon  we  will  produce  a  full  supply, 
and  ere  long  export  wool,  if  the  present  tariff  laws  are  unaltered.  The 
importation  of  wool  in  the  form  of  manufactured  goods  is  rapidly  falling 
off.  In  1860  our  importation  amounted  to  $37,973,190.  In  1878,  our 
population  having  increased  not  less  than  12,000,000,  we  imported  only 
$25,230,154.  In  certain  classes  this  falling  off  of  importations  is  very 
marked.  In  carpets  the  importation  in  1878  was  not  one-fourteenth  the 
value  of  the  importations  of  1872.  Dress  goods,  in  which  the  foreigners 
still  lead  our  manufacturers  in  the  estimation  of  certain  wealthy  con- 
sumers, are  no  longer  imported  as  extensively  as  formerly,  their  value 
having  fallen  in  1878  to  $12,000,000  from  $20,000,000  in  1872. 

In  December,  1865,  the  now  famous  joint  convention  of  wool-growers 
and  wool-manufacturers  was  held  in  Syracuse,  N.  Y.  There  and  then 
these  two  great  industries,  that  before  had  been  antagonistic,  learned  that 
they  had  common  interests,  and  that  neither  could  prosper  at  the  expense 
of  the  other.  The  wool-grower  must  have  a  market  at  home,  and  the 
wool-manufacturer  must  have  a  home-grown  supply  to  depend  upon  in 
case  of  a  foreign  war  or  any  other  cause  cutting  off  a  supply.  Since  that 
time  these  industries  have  acted  in  concert,  and  have  been  heard  in  Con- 
gress, and  thus  far  have  been  able  to  prevent  hostile  legislation.  The 
wonderful  progress  made,  to  the  great  benefit  of  the  whole  nation,  is  be- 


[287] 

fore  us,  and  our  flock  owners  having  surmounted  the  difficulties  of  changing 
the  native  flocks  of  Tennessee  into  producers  of  long  wool  and  mutton, 
we  look  forward  to  profitable  production  of  wool,  combined  with  mutton, 
in  Tennessee,  as  has  long  been  the  case  in  England,  and  abundant  re- 
wards to  the  owners  of  flocks  of  fine-wooled  sheep  in  their  new  homes. 


RAMBOUILLET  SHEEP  IN  FRANCE. 

In  a  most  interesting  address  delivered  24th  of  March, 
1880,  in  Rochester,  New  York,  by  Mr.  Markhara,  Presi- 
dent of  the  New  York  State  Sheep  Breeders'  and  Wool 
Growers7  Association,  detailing  what  objects  of  interest  to 
vsheep-breeders  he  saw  in  a  trip  around  the  world,  I  find  the 
following  reference  to  the  Rarnbouillet  flock  of  France, 
which  is  a  translation  of  thirty -one  answers  in  French  to  as 
many  questions  propounded  by  Mr.  Markham. 

RAMBOUIKLET,  February  4th,  1880. 

SIR — I  have  the  honor  to  give  you  below  replies  to  the  thirty-one  ques- 
tions addressed  to  me  in  your  letter  of  the  29th  of  January  last. 

1.     The  Eambouillet  flock  was  established  in  1776. 

2  and  3.  At  the  beginning  it  was  composed  of  forty-two  bucks  and 
three  hundred  and  thirty-four  ewes. 

4.  These  animals  were  taken  from  ten  of  the  best  Spanish  sheepfolds, 
according  to  the  recommendation  of  the  king  of  Spain  himself,  and  were 
chosen  from  among  elite  subjects. 

5.  The  weights  of  the  unsheared  bucks  were  approximately  110  to  120 
pounds. 

6.  That  of  the  ewes,  also  unsheared,  was  about  72.5  to  88  pounds. 

7.  The  fleece  of  the  bucks  weighed  about  8.8  pounds. 

8.  That  of  the  ewes  was  about  7.7. 

9.  According  to  samples  which  form  the  collection  of  the  sheepfold, 
the  wool  of  the  bucks  had  a  length  of  55  millimetres  9-10  (2.2  inches)  ; 
this  measure  taken  upon  the  fibre  in  a  state  of  nature,  i.  e.,  not  stretched, 


[288] 

in  such  a  way  as  to  destroy  the  sinuosities  or  undulations.  The  crimp  of 
the  wool  had  15.3  undulations  per  centimeter  (39.25  per  inch),  and  in  hun- 
dredths  of  millimetres,  2.16  diameter  (1-1175  inch).  Wool  of  the  ewes 
had  52.7  millimeters  (2.07  inches)  length  of  fibre,  39.8  crimps  per  inch'» 
2.06  mm.  (1-1235  inch)  diameter. 

10.  In  1802  a  new  importation  was  made  from  Spain  to  Kambouillefc 
numbering  six  bucks  and  forty  ewes,  as  subjects  for  experiment,  and  as 
terms  of  comparison  with  animals  resulting  from  the  first  importation. 
They  were  found  inferior,  and  they  do  not  appear  to  have  been  kept  very 
long. 

[NOTE. — For  the  dates  of  1860  and  1880  I  shall  substitute  respectively 
1867  and  1878 — those  of  our  last  two  universal  expositions — because  in  a 
report  to  the  minister  I  was  called  upon  to  make  a  comparison  of  the  flocks 
of  these  two  epochs.  This  report  will  furnish  me  some  precise  figures  upon 
which  I  shall  comment  when  indicating  what  may  have  been  the  condition 
at  the  dates  you  mention.] 

IN  1867. 

11.  The  bucks  weighed,  with  their  fleece,  192.5  pounds. 

12.  And  the  ewes  135.3  pounds,  also  with  fleece  included. 

13  and  14.  The  fleece  of  the  bucks  weighed  in  grease  11.77  pounds* 
that  of  the  ewes  9.13  pounds.  In  1860  the  animals  must  have  been  heavier 
and  the  fleeces  of  less  weight. 

In  1860  the  lengths  of  fibre  for  the  bucks  was  2.29  inches,  the  crimp  had 
41  undulations  per  inch,  and  the  diameter  1-1159  inch.  For  the  ewes 
these  were  respectively:  length  of  fibre,  2.2;  45  undulations  per  inch  and 
1-1198  inch  diameter. 

16.  From  1840  the  object  was  to  produce  Merinos  of  which  the  animals 
were  at  the  same  time  valuable  for  slaughtering  and  for  the  production  of 
wool.     The  fleece  ceased  to  be  the  entirely  predominating  consideration 
in  the  choice  reproducing  animals.     The  chief  end  was  plump  and  well 
developed  forms,  and  by  a  rich  regime,  animals  were  obtained,  about  1850, 
having  very  large  weight,  but  which  were  very  exacting  and  less  robust, 
and  the  fleece  of  which  was  not  in  relation  with  this  weight,  either  as  to 
quantity  or  quality  of  wool. 

17.  The  end  in  view  the  mutton,  had  almost  destroyed  the  folds,  which, 
with  the  exception  of  a  few  subjects,  scarcely  comprised  more  than  those 
of  the  neck,  and  the  result  was  to  diminish  the  value  of  the  animals  in  the 
eyes  of  foreigners.     Shortly  after  1850  these  errors  were  renounced  and  ef- 
forts were  made  to  bring  the  flock  back  to  its  true  and  ancient  type,  by 
making  choice  more  with  regard  to  wool  and  repudiating  the  exaggeration 
of  development  in  the  choice  of  reproducing  animals,  and  the  superabun- 
dant and  onerous  feeding  that  had  been  practiced  to  attain  this  end.     The 
Negretti  type  again  acquired  importance  and  the  folds  they  bore  were  no 
longer  excluded,  but  sought  after  rather  as  characteristics  essential  to  ani- 


[289] 

inals  furnishing  the  richest  fleeces,  and  corresponding  better  with  the  de- 
sire of  foreigners,  who  came  to  Rambouillet  to  seek  reproducing  animals. 
It  was  especially  since  1P67  that  the  improvement  of  the  flock  has  realized 
marked  progress  with  regard  to  production  of  wool,  and  a  return  to  their 
primitive  aptitude  to  live  exclusively  on  pasture  and  to  support  intemper- 
ate conditions,  and  the  privations  resulting  from  dry  seasons  and  the  nat- 
ural aridity  of  pasturage. 

IN  1878. 

18.  The  weight  of  the  bucks  with  their  wool  was  159.06  pounds. 

19.  That  of  the  ewes  with  their  AVOO!  was  115.17  pounds. 

20.  The  bucks  give  annually  a  fleece  of  16.7  pounds. 

21.  The  ewes  annually  give  of  wool  11.04  pounds. 

22.  The  fibre  from  the  bucks  had  a  length  of  2.6  inches ;  the  crimp  of 
the  wool  had  39.26  undulations  per  inch,  and  the  diameter  was  1-1076 
inch. 

For  the  e  wes  the  length  of  fibre  was  2.33  inches ;  the  crimp  had  45.76 
undulations  per  inch,  and  the  diameter  was  1-1245  inch. 

23.  A  Merino  for  countries  where  the  production  of  wool  is  the  princi- 
pal end  in  view  should  have  folds  rather  numerous  than  large  about  the 
neck,  one  fold  of  horse-shoe  form  about  the  tail  and  a  few  only  on  the 
body.     If  some  countries  reject  animals  with  folds,  it  is  said  to  be  because 
of  the  scab  which  occurs  there,  the  seeds  of  which  find  lodgment  and  ul- 
cers which  form  between  them. 

24.  In  France  there  exists  an  erroneous  desire  to  secure  very  plump 
Merinos,  without  folds,  which  on  this  account  are  very  exacting.     Euro- 
pean countries  ordinarily  attach  importance  to  large  Merinos  having  a 
moderate  number  of  these  folds.     The  Cape  of  Good  Hope  seeks  good  form 
and  few  or  no  folds.     The  same  is  true  of  Australia.     South  America  de- 
mands folds  above  all,  and  prefers  animals  of  average  form,  and  the  same 
is  true  for  North  America.     I  generally  find  that  it  is  wrong  to  prefer  a 
large  animal  to  a  small  one.     Merinos  being  destined  to  live  upon  pastur- 
age, if  they  have  a  reduced  form  they  are  more  easily  arid  more  surely 
satisfied  in  the  countries  to  which  they  are  transported.     If  its  develop- 
ment is  inferior  as  compared  with  the  richness  of  the  pasture  it  will  find 
in  abundance,  it  will  enlarge,  will  naturally  progress,  will  be  profitable, 
and  will  be  exposed  to  no  miscalculation  ;  while  if,  on  the  other  hand, 
those  of  too  large  form  be  chosen  they  will  be  exposed  to  the  chances  of  in- 
ability of  being  satisfied  by  the  resources  at  their  disposition,  they  will  de- 
cline, be  subject  to  dangers,  give  place  to  deception  and  be  a  cause  of  loss. 
I  submit  in  principle  that  upon  a  given  extent  of  pasturage  it  is  impossi- 
ble to  maintain  quite  as  great  a  weight  of  animal  by  adopting  subjects  of 
small  form,  as  in  taking  the  large  types,  and  no  one  can  contest  that  small 
Merinos  in  larger  number,  making  together  the  same  weight  ag  the  larger 
ones,  will  furnish  more  of  wool  each  year  and  less  of  losses. 

19 


[290] 

Sheep  giving  large  and  heavy  fleeces  are  every  where  in  demand ;  but 
the  mistake  is  sometimes  made  of  attaching  importance  simply  to  the  ab- 
solute weight  of  the  fleece,  making  no  comparison  between  the  weight  of 
the  wool  and  that  of  the  animal.  It  is  thus  that  some  persons  who  seek 
Merinos  even  with  reference  to  wool  alone,  prefer  a  buck  of  (120  kilos)  264 
pounds,  giving  (8  kilos)  17.6  pounds  of  wool  to  another  of  (60  kilos)  132 
pounds,  which  furnishds  a  fleece  of  (7.5  kilos)  16.5  pounds,  saying  that  the 
first  gives  more  wool  than  the  second,  taking  no  account  of  the  respective 
weights  of  the  subjects. 

I  have  always  combatted  and  shall  always  combat  such  reasoning,  be- 
cause a  Merino  of  60  kilos  132  pounds,  with  its  16.5  pounds  of  wool,  is  far 
superior  to  that  of  264  pounds  with  a  fleece  of  17.6.  In  fact,  in  pasture, 
two  small  Merinos  of  132  pounds  will  live  easily  upon  the  space  required 
by  a  single  buck  of  264  pounds,  and  they  will  give  15  kilos  (33  pounds) 
of  wool  each  year  against  17.6  furnished  by  the  large  buck. 

Let  us  also  consider  the  sheep  at  Rambouillet  according  to  the  quan- 
tity of  wool  they  give  each  year  for  100  of  their  weight,  and  we  would 
say  that,  according  to  the  preceding  hypothesis,  Merinos  of  60  kilos  (132 
pounds)  furnished  12.5  per  cent,  of  wool,  while  the  large  sheep  of  120 
kilos  (264  pounds)  gave  but  6.66  per  cent.  This  latter  is  therefore  infe- 
rior to  the  other  with  the  special  regard  in  question. 

I  profess  the  opinion  that  a  Merino,  strong  and  well  constituted,  with 
large,  short  legs,  head  also  large  and  short,  and  body  low,  with  proper 
ancestors,  can  scarcely  ever  be  too  small,  because  the  smaller  the  subjects 
the  more  hardy  they  will  be,  and  the  more  wool  they  will  give  in  propor- 
tion to  their  weight. 

Another  advantage  of  small  Merinos  is  that  they  are  more  fertile  and 
are  longer  lived.  They  are  better  adapted  to  multiplication  and  the  crea- 
tion of  flocks.  Importance  is  given  and  will  always  be  given  to  the  length 
of  the  wool.  However,  this  coniideration  is  now  of  less  importance  since 
it  is  now  possible  to  comb  relatively  short  wools. 

Fine  wool  is  also  always  sought  after;  but  extreme  fineness  does  not 
outweigh  all  other  considerations,  since  it  has  become  possible  to  spin  fine 
withr  average  wools.  And  since  extreme  fineness  excludes  abundance  of 
fleece,  a  heavy  fleece  of  strong  wool  and  average  fineness  is  preferred. 

25.  As  a  general  rule  we  avoid  giving  a  ewe  a  buck  of  near  relation. 
By  near  relation  I  mean  the  father  and  his  daughter,  the  mother  and  her 
son,  the  brother  and  sister. 

But  if  exceptional  qualities  to  be  perpetuated  are  found  in  a  male  and 
female  of  these  relations,  we  should  not  hesitate  to  couple  them  if  we 
failed  to  find  in  non-relatives  the  same  suitability  (convenance);  for  con- 
sanguinity is  not  to  be  avoided  except  in  case  of  individuals  having  a 
constitutional  vice  common  to  the  family. 


[291] 

26.  Purchasers  of  our  wool  (and  they  have  no  interest  in  exaggerating 
the  yield)  declare  that  the  fleece  comprising  the  whole  of  the  wool  (body, 
belly,  legs,  head,  etc.)  yield,  according  to  the  year,  30  to  33  per  cent,  of 
white  scoured  wool.     This  is  the  same  proportion  as  when  the  animals 
arrived  from  Spain  in  1786. 

27.  Very  much  folded  animals  which  furnish  a  super-abundance  of 
wool  are  sometimes  weakened  in  their  constitution  and  appear  as  though 
exhausted  by  this  exaggerated  production  of  wool.     Our  shepherd,  in 
such  case,  says  the  wool  eats  them  la  lime  les  mange. 

But  apart  from  these  very  exceptional  cases,  and  which  never  represent 
one  per  cent.,  the  folded  animals  are  very  hardy,  very  resistant,  and  are 
capable  of  supporting  privation. 

On  the  whole,  they  are  less  finely  formed  than  sheep  without  folds ; 
they  are  more  angular,  are  less  developed,  less  plump ;  but  when  the  meat 
is  no  consideration  these  characteristics  should  not  be  considered  as  de- 
fects, but  the  opposite. 

28.  Folds  on  sheep  imply  closer,  more  settledVool,  fibres  closer  to  each 
other  and  stronger,  and  indicate  a  more  abundant  fleece,  notwithstanding 
the  wool  is  shorter. 

The  fleece  of  folded  animals  covers  all  parts  of  the  body  more  com- 
pletely than  that  of  subjects  without  folds ;  it  is  better  closed  externally, 
that  is  to  say,  it  is  with  more  difficulty  penetrated  by  dust,  seeds,  etc., 
which  may  annoy  the  animal  and  soil  or  alter  the  wool. 

29.  Folds  on  Merinos  are  above  all  found  about  the  neck,  in  front  of 
the  shoulders;  to  proscribe  them  would,  therefore,  be  to  exclude  the  best 
wool  producers. 

But  if  the  folds  of  the  neck  are  too  large,  they  present  an  inconven- 
ience. With  age,  the  skin  of  these  folds  becomes  callosed.  This  change 
in  the  nature  of  the  skin  brings  about  a  degeneracy  of  the  wool,  which 
then  sticks  to  the  skin  (se  rapproche  du  poil),  which  is  an  unfavorable  qual- 
ity, without,  however,  producing  a  sufficient  motive  for  the  rejection  of  a 
buck  having  this  peculiarity.  These  large  folds  on  an  animal  are  always 
to  be  regretted,  and,  all  other  qualities  being  equal,  we  prefer  those  which 
have  only  small  or  average-sized  folds,  which  never  cause  the  callosity  of 
the  skin,  and  the  sort  of  protuberance  which  is  the  consequence  thereof. 

30.  In  the  Merino  race  the  buck  generally  weighs  three  when  the  ewe 
weighs  two.     Supposing  the  animals  charged  with  one  year's  wool,  a 
weight  of  75  kilos  (165  pounds)  for  the  buck,  and  50  kilos  (110  pounds) 
for  the  ewe,  seem  to  me  sufficient,  if  we  have  in  view  a  flock  destined  to 
live  exclusively  on  pasture,  and  to  be  especially  devoted  to  the  production 
of  wool. 

For  an  arid  country  I  would  even  advise  confining  it  to  60  kilos  (132 
pounds)  for  the  buck,  and  40  kilos  (88  pounds)  for  the  ewe. 


[292  | 

When  I  advise  small  subjects,  if  wool  be  the  special  end  in  view,  I  am 
governed  by  statistics  of  the  flock  covering  twelve  years.  In  dividing  the 
animals  into  five  categories  according  to  weight,  I  have  observed  that  the 
lightest  give  a  quantity  of  wool  equivalent  to  12.38  per  cent,  of  their 
weight;  the  next,  11.41;  the  average,  11.14;  then  10.38,  and  finally  the 
heaviest,  9.51  per  cent. 

I  have  further  found  that  fleeces  of  animals  of  the  "  average "  section 
each  weigh  125  grammes  (275  pounds)  more  than  those  of  the  section 
comprising  the  heaviest  animals. 

31.  From  statistics  of  twelve  years,  it  follows  that,  on  an  average,  of 
the  100  ewes  which  we  cause  to  be  "  served,"  it  is  found  that  83  1-10  be- 
come with  lamb  (pregnant),  and  that  they  give,  including  twins,  ninety- 
two  lambs. 

I  shall  stop,  sir,  believing  I  have  answered  each  of  your  questions.  If 
I  have  badly  comprehended  your  requests,  and  made  omissions,  I  beg 
that  you  will  call  my  attention  thereto  in  order  that  I  may  repair  the  de- 
fects in  my  replies.  I  have  been  pleased  with  the  impression  which  your 
visit  to  our  flock  produced,  and  it  is  an  inducement  for  us  to  persevere  in 
the  way  we  have  followed  for  some  time. 

I  beg  you  to  accept,  sir,  with  my  thanks,  my  respectful  and  devoted 
homage.  The  director,  BERNARDIN. 


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[294] 
The  United  States  Economist,  of  recent  date,  says : 

There  never  was  a  time  at  this  period  of  the  year  when  stocks  of  do- 
mestic fleece  and  pulled  wools  were  sold  up  as  clean  in  all  markets,  and 
were  it  not  for  the  large  quantities  coming  from  all  foreign  countries  it  is 
fair  to  conclude  that  prices  would  have  ere  this  risen  to  exalted  figures. 
Prices  are  advancing  in  the  markets  abroad  for  all  classes  of  wools  adapt- 
ed to  our  necessities,  in  consequence  of  the  large  demand  for  this  country* 
and  it  is  getting  more  difficult  every  day  to  obtain  the  grades  of  wool  we 
require,  unless  at  prices  which  will  materially  enhance  the  cost  of  the 
scoured  pound.  There  is  no  safety  left  manufacturers  but  to  diversify 
production  (if  a  modification  of  the  wool  tariff  is  not  reached),  because  it 
is  now  clear  that  any  class  of  fine  wool  when  scoured  will  cost  from  80c. 
to  $1.15  this  season,  while  last  year  mannfacturers  were  enabled  to  pur- 
chase the  bulk  of  supplies  at  from  40c.  to  75c.  scoured.  The  cause  of  this 
enormous  advance  is  founded  on  demand  and  supply.  We  do  not  grow 
sufficient  wool  for  the  wants  of  manufacturers,  and  the  result  is  seen  in 
the  sharp  competition  to  obtain  the  necessary  supplies  adapted  to  the 
wants  of  our  woolen  mills. 


INDEX 


FAGK 

Abel,  First  Shepherd  ..............     8 

Adaptability  of  Tennessee  ........     5 

Adaptability  for  Sheep  ............  31 

Advantages  of  Tennessee  .........   21 

Advantages  of  Sheep  Culture...  204 
Africa,  Sheep  Growing  ............   22 

Allman,  Geo.  T.,  Letter  ............  262 

America,  Sheep  Growing  ......  ...  22 

Analysis  of  Excrement  ............  77 

Analysis  of  Food  ....................  98 

Angora  Goat  ..........................  208 

Anatomy  of  Sheep  ..................  157 

Answers  to  Circulars  ...............  178 

Appendix  .............................  247 

Argonauts  .............................   11 

Australia  .............................   23 


Bakewell  Sheep  ......................  115 

Baling  Wool  ..........................  205 

Banffshire  Sheep  .....................   62  j 

Barns  ...................................  53 

Barns,  Yards  .........................  91 

Barns,  Number  of  Sheep  in  ......  95 

Basin,  Silurian  .......................  42 

Bedding  for  Sheep  ..................  96 

Beets  for  Food  ........................  101 

Beets,  Cultivation  and  yield  ......  104 

Beggars'  Lice  .........................  79 

Bessarabia  .............................   24 

Beunos  Ayres  ........................  24 

Blood,  its  Composition  ............  76 

Bogs,  unfit  .............................  33 

20 


Bones,  Size  of 76 

Book  Farming,  value  of 202 

Breeding   Sheep 14 

Breeding,  In-and-in 55,  63 

Breed,  Best 135 

Breeds,  Favorite 29 

Breeds  to  Mix 59 

Breeds  to  Convert 61 

Breeds,  Popular 114 

Broom  Grass 40 

Bucks,  Angora 232 

Bucks 49 

Bucks,  too  young 58 

Bucks,  When  to  Separate 51 

Bucks,  Number  of  Ewes  to...  131,  7 
Butter  from  Sheep 8 

O 

Calycanthus 79 

Carcass .- 136 

Carpets  175 

Carter  County 33 

Castration 75 

Cedars,  a  Protection 89 

Census 30 

Cheap  Land* 38 

Cheese  from  Sheep 7 

Circulars 28 

Climates 32 

Cockrill,  Mark  R 21 

Competition 24 

Conclusion 202 

Confinement,  Injurious 107 


[  298  ] 


Consumption    of     Mutton    and 

Wool 25 

Corn  as  a  Food 97 

Cost 28 

Cost  of  Feeding 42 

Cost  of  Eaising 177 

Cotswold  Sheep 115 

Countries  best  Adapted  to 18 

Crosses 34 

Crossing,  best 46 

Crosses,  Breeds 45 

Crosses,  five  to  purify  blood 64 

Crutchfield,  Tom,  Opinion 37 

Crutchfield,       Tom,       Advance 

Sheets 247 

Crutchfield,  Tom,  Letter 253 

Cud 158 

Culling  flocks 137 

Cumberland       Mountains      for 
Sheep 18 

D 

Darwin  on  Sheep 34 

David,  King,  a  Shepherd 9 

Davis,  Dr.  J.  B.,  Letter 209 

Dedication 3 

Degeneration 133 

Delhi,  Israel  8.,  Letter 239 

Demand  for  Sheep 15 

Diseases  of  Goats 216 

Diseases  of  Sheep 157 

Diseases  unknown  here 180 

Diversity  of  Sheep 6 

Divisions  of  Flock 80 

Docking 74 

Dogs 20 

Dogs,  effects  Injurious  to  Indus- 
try    29 

Dogs,  effects  on  Fattening  Sheep.  106 

Dog  Law '.. 149 

Dogs,    Shepherd 150 

Dogs,  How  to  Train 150 

Dogs,  Answers   to    Correspond- 
ents.. .  152 


Dropping  time 50 

Dropping,  When  best 93 


|  East  Tennessee  .......................  38 

|  Economist,  U.  S.  Circular  .........  294 

I  England  ...............................   12 

Epidemics  .............................  23 

Europe  .................................   22 

Ewes  for  Lambs  .....................  48 

i  Ewes  for  Breeders  ...................  52 

i   Ewes  for  Suckling  ..................  54 

|  Ewes,  best  ..............................  140 

Excrements  ..........................   77 

Exemptions  from  Executions.  ..207 
Exportations  ..........................    12 

JET 

Factories  ..............................  178 

Farms,  Sheep  .........................  68 

Fattening  for  Mutton  ...............  102 

Fattening  for  Market  .....  .........  107 

Fattening  for  New  York  ..........  108 

Feeding  Stock  Sheep  ...............  14 

Feet,  Diseases  of  ....................  167 

Felting     ..............................  170 

Fences,  Good  ..........................  70 

Fences,  Portable  .....................   84 

Fibre,  Wool  ...........................  148 

Fleece  ..................................     7 

Flesh  ....................................  76 

Flocks,  to  perfect  ....................  58 

Folds  ...................................  70 

Food  ...................................     6 

Food,  varieties  necessary  .........   4.0 

Food,  Winter  .........................  40 

Foster,  J.  W  ,  Letter  ...............  2C3 


Garget  .................  .  ................  55 

Geddes,  James,  Letter  .............  284 

Gestation  ..............................   48 

Gibson,  Capt.  Thomas  ............  134 

Goats,  Angora  ........................  208 


[  299  J 


PAGE 

Goats,  Breeding 211 

Goat  Breeding  in  Tennessee 229 

Goat  Breeding,  at  what  age 225 

Goats,  Breachy 228 

Goats,  Crossing 219 

Goats,  Description 214 

Goats,  Diseases 216 

Goats,  Fleece 239 

Goats,  Gestation 215 

Goats,  History  of 212 

Goats,  Importation 213 

Goats,  Pelts 225 

Goats,  Products 220 

Goats,  Skins 217 

Goats,  WTool 218 

Golden  Fleece 11 

Grades 131 

Grasses  best  adapted  to  Sheep...  32 

Greece 11 

Green  Food 106 

Green  Soiling 81 

Growing  Interest 29 

Gutters  useful  in  Sheds 93 

Ht 

Heat 31 

Herbage 78 

Herd's-grass  41 

Hughes  &  Ronald,  Circular 241 

Hungary 23 

Hurdles...                                    ..  84 


Imports  of  Wool 26 

Improvements  in  Sheep 9 

Improvements  in  Husbandry 13 

Impurities  in  Wool 173 

Increase  *>f  Sheep 25 

Inducements,  to  engage  in 112 

Intestines 159 

Isothemus....  36 


Jacob's  Ruse 

Japan   Clover... 


PAGB 

Job,  a  Sheep  owner 9 

Johnson  County 33 

Jones,  D.  N.,  Letter 261 


Kentucky,  Sheep  Growing 174 

Kentucky  Sheep 274 

Knoxville 36 

JL, 

Lambs  disowned 53 

Lambs,  Driving  injurious 67 

|  Lambs,  Profits  of  Early 66 

!   Lambs,  Sales 43 

j   Lambs,  Spring 51 

,   Lambs,  Treatment 53 

Lambs,  Value... 5 

Laurel,  a  Poison 206 

Leicester  Sheep 115,  273 

Limits  of  Sheep  Raising 28 

Location  136 

Lofts,  use  of 92 

Longevity 134 


Marking,  How  and  when.........  74 

Marks,  Various  kinds 49 

Matlock,  H.  H 37 

Memorandum  Book,  how  kept...  50 

Merino , 60,  118 

Merino  Rams 138 

Metamorphic       Rocks,      their 

effects 33 

Mexico 11,  24 

Middle  Tennessee 42 

Milk,  Ewe 8 

Mohair 216 

Mohair,  Dealers  in 222 

Mohair,  Markets  for 226 

Mohair,  Preparation  of 226 

Mohair,  Value  of 221,  224 

Moisture  Injurious 18 

Moors 12 

Moses,  his  flocks 9 


[  300 


P^GE 

Mountains  as  Sheep  walks 17   i 

Mustard  as  food 82 

Mnstard,  How  to  grow 102  I 


Natives,  Value  of 34 

Nativity  of  Sheep 8 

New  Yorker,  Rural,  Circular....  173 

Numbers 29 

Numbers  of  Sheep 175 

O 

Oil  Cake,  its  food  value 95 

Overdone 25 

Overstocking 46,  79 


r-.u.:: 
Racks  .....................  72,  90,  92,  1'ti 

Raising  Sheep  .......................  1  10 

Ram  Changing  .......................   ;">('' 

Ram,  Merino  .........................  IBs 

Rambouillet  Sheep  .................  287 

Remedies  ..............................  162 

Requirements  for  Sheep  raising..  27 
Review  of  Sheep  Husbandry  in 
Tennessee  ..........................   27 

Rim  Lands  ........................  40,  90 

Rise  and  Progress  ..................   27 

River,  Tennessee  .....................   41 

Roots  ....................................   99 

Rot,  Lands  liable  to  ................  164 

Russia  ...........................  .  ......   24 

Rye  Pastures  .........................     81 


Packing  Fleeces 145 

Pagans 9 

Parsley  as  food 78 

Pastures 17 

Pastures,  Changing 88 

Pastures,  Poor 18,  79 

Pasturing,  how 75 

Peas.: 40,  81 

Pelt  rot 168 

Philips,  Jos 233 

Physic  80 

Plateau  34 

Poisons 206 

Portugal 10 

Prerequisites  for  success 68 

Prices,  average 26,  175 

Profits 12 

Profits  in  Tennessee 16 

Profits  from  Wool 19 

Profits  from  Mutton 43 

Profit  and  Loss Ill 

Protection 36 

Q 

Questions  and  Answers 18,  183 


Salting  Sheep  ........................   73 

Schedule     Questions    and     An- 
swers ................................  181 

Scott,  Robt  W,  Letters  .....  211,  274 

Scrubs  ..................................  34 

Sh  awl,  Cashmere  .....................  244 

Shearing  Lambs  and  8heep..31,  143 
Sheep,  Sick,  Care  of  ................   88 

Sheep,  killed  ..........................  179 

Sheep,  Stock  ..........................   97 

Sheds  ...................................   87 

Sheltering  .............................   38 

Shepherds  ..............................     9 

Shropshire  .............................   61 

Size  and  Shape  ...................  6,  135 

Skin,  its  structure  ...................  170 

Slopes  ...............................  34,  80 

Soils  ....................................  69 

Sorghum  ......................  »  .....  81 

South,  The,  Extracts  from.,153,  230 
Southdowns  ..............  60,  114,  139 

Spain  ....................................   10 

Statistics  ..........................  22,  177 

Steppes  ...............................  24 

Stewart,  Henry,  Letter  .......  33    281 


[301] 


PAGK 

Stinting 49 

Stratton,  Lorenzo 211 

Straw 99 

Strays 20 

Sumner  County 61 

T 

Table  Land 18  j 

Tables 140 

Tables,  Voelker  &  Lankester 100 

Tags 73 

Tails 7 

Tarentine  Sheep 1 1 

Tariff 176 

Teeth  79 

Temperature 32 

Tennessee 20  ! 

Thibet  Goat 210  j 

Titles 38  ! 

Troughs,  Portable 87 

Turnips 52,  85,  101 

Twins,  To  secure 56 

Tyrian  Purple 10 

TJ 

Unaka  Mountains,  its  grasses....  32 

Understocking 17,  79 

United  States 24 

Urine,  its  value 94 

Uses  of  Sheep 7 


Valley  of  East  Tennessee 35 

Value  of  Sheep 16 

Value  of  various  breeds  relative.140 

Van  Goat 228 

Virginia 33 


W 

PAGE 

Warren  County 41 

Washing  Sheep 142 

Watchfulness,  necessary 80 

Water  Supply 80 

Weaning  Lambs 65 

Wtst  Tennessee 43 

Wheat  as  Pastures 105 

Williams,  Dr.  Wm 2'3 

Winds 90 

Winter  Feeding 97 

Winter  Management 89 

Wool  Breaks 80 

Wool,  its  Classification..!?!,  2,  173 

Wool  and  Cotton 147 

Wool,  The  Crop  of 179 

Wool,  Merino 174 

Wool,  its  fibre 147 

Wool,  Importations 293 

Wool,  Shedding 89 

Wool,  Shipping 146 

Wool,  Structure 170 

Wool,  its  uses 147 

WTorld's  Fair,  Tennessee  Wool  at  21 

Worms  in  Sheep 160 

Wounds  ...  ...166 


Yield  of  Wool 42 

Yolk,  its  use 76 

Yolk,  its  composition 171 

Youatt,  Work  on  Animals 2  J 


Zone,  Wool,  of  the  world 23 


YC  20495 


298154 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


